


The Marauder's Fox - Sequel

by Nattie8516



Series: The Marauder's Fox [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Deaths, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter Friendship, F/M, Fantasy, Magic, Magical Violence, Romance, Violence, friendships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:14:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 47
Words: 240,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29544315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nattie8516/pseuds/Nattie8516
Summary: Waking up 3 years later, Emma find her life in ruins. Sirius is in Azkaban and no one believes her of his innocence. Worst of all, she's refused custody of Harry and even as an adult she seems to find trouble. Fighting for her nephew and Sirius' freedom, Emma's lost as to where to begin. But their troubles have yet to come, Voldemort is on the move and thirsty for his returned power.
Relationships: Severus Snap/OC, Sirius Black/OC
Series: The Marauder's Fox [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2170563
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 1 **

* * *

**1984 May**

Three years. 

It had been three **long and agonizing** years for everyone.

Emma had yet to wake up, her body was strong once again, but her mind seemed to be having trouble coming back to them.

Mellena had gone back to her original features, she had matured over the years, more of a woman than anything. Her blonde hair had grown longer, her eyes still shining bright blue. The only change in her was the fact that she was eight months pregnant.

Yes, pregnant, with twins! She may look like Gabrielle McKinnon, but in truth, Gabrielle had been dead for so long she no longer saw herself as Gabrielle, she was Mellena. She had gone to the hospital every day since that horrifying night three years ago. Mellena had fought to keep Harry herself, but the Ministry of Magic had refused her claims, especially since she had married Severus only a year later. She had taken up sewing and reading to Emma's sleeping self, talking to her, explaining to her why she hadn't told her she'd faked her death and that she was terribly sorry she never told her.

Klay had taken some time to come around, but had eventually come around in accepting it, all thanks to Holly.

**-Flashback-**

_"I'm so glad you're alive! I know you never really knew me before that Quidditch game, but we all mourned for you and your family_." _Holly had invited Mellena to hers' and Klay's wedding. Hagrid was to walk her down the aisle since she had no family left after the war, besides her little brother who was currently in his third year at Hogwarts himself, sorted into Ravenclaw, "Our entire family had always been Hufflepuff, but he's doing amazing and that's all that matters to me."_

**End of Flashback-**

Sighing wishfully as she closed the children's folklore book Lily had once read to Harry. Mellena secretly hoped Emma wouldn't have minded that she’d borrowed it from the rubble of the house in Godric's Hollow. Smiling when her mind flooded with memories, she rested her hand over her grown belly; **_"Any idea what will happen this year?"_** She smiled at the memory when she’d asked Emma excitedly the first years they’d met. The two had spent a while bounding over dinner. Mellena had seen the way Sirius had looked at her friend, even at the young age of eleven she saw the love in his eyes sparking, but at that age she thought it was a bit creepy then hot that an older student was staring at you like you were a dream come true. As the years went on Mellena began to realize that what she had witnessed in Sirius Black's eyes were filled with pure love and adoration of the girl.

Sighing sadly, her mind turned to their second year when the Marauders had bullied Severus and Emma had put her fist halfway through their chests. She had witnessed the start of it and had gone straight for Emma knowing how much Severus meant to her and her sister, **_"Down by the lake, Severus... Marauders... Oh! Come on!"_**

She thought of all the times they shared; their Animagus training, Emma saving her life from the Death Eaters _._ But most importantly, she realized that most of her memories had Emma **and** Sirius Black in them, and each one made her smile and her heart hurt. She just wanted Emma to wake up, she needed her to wake up. Molly had taken to the girl with open arms and a warm heart.

"Mellie? Everything alright dear?" _'Thinking of Molly. There she is,'_

"Aunt Mellie!" A group of kids gleefully shouted as they rushed to Mellena, hugging her and being careful of her bulging belly.

Ginny smiled and kissed Mellena’s belly saying hello to the unborn babies, then kissed Emma's hand that was laying nearly half off the bedside’s edge as the rest of the kids gathered in the room with their parents and Aunt.

Even though Emma was still in a coma, the Weasley's had still brought the children to visit her, telling the kids as they grew that Emma was indeed family when they’d ask who she was, aside from the children who had known her or met her before the massacre knew the truth, however, no one, nor Emma, ever have a problem with that. But it was today that was bound to make an impression on everyone.

Emma's eyes shot wide open and began gagging on the breathing tube, "Oh Merlin! Children out, now!" Molly shouted, fearful that Emma would choke in front of the kids.

Bill panicked, fearing for his Aunt all the same, helped his parents get his siblings out of the room by grabbing Percy and Ron while their mother lifted Fred and George up and rushed out as Charlie picked up a crying three-year-old Ginny and followed out after their parents.

"Aunt Emma!" Ron screamed out, squirming in his brother's arms.

The doctors rushed into the room and closed the door as they worked on getting the tub out and checking Emma's equilibrium and scenes.

It was thirty minutes before the doctors allowed anyone in to see her, "Molly-” She blinked her unfocused eyes to focus on the face she knew couldn’t really be there. Her heart skipped beats with fear and her eyes pricked painfully with tears as she looked at the obviously older version of her dead best friend, “Gabby? Wait, am… Am I dead?" She asked, her throat was raw and horse, she hadn’t used it in three years, so she was bound to have a few problems speaking, but she found she was able to take her time and take it easy on her vocal cords.

"No, you've been in a coma for three years, sweetheart." Molly informed her sadly.

They saw the panic. Saw her fears plain on her face, plain on her eyes as her tears spilled over and rolled down her face.

Her breath hitched with disbelief, her eyes brimming with tears at the thought of being hospitalized for three years. "What?"


	2. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

It had taken a few minutes to explain to Emma what was going on and what had happened already. **A** **)** Sirius was imprisoned, **B** **)** Harry had been taken from her and put into Petunia's care. This left the newly awakened woman in heartache and panic. "Bu-but Sirius is innocent, it wasn't him! Please, Arthur! He's innocent!" Emma cried.

Arthur sighed sadly to her, he didn’t want to be the one to break such news to her, "But we have no proof, Emma. I'm sorry. No one knew of a switch in the secret Keepers for your family, Sirius was the only person that was to be the Keeper, no one was informed of this change and with no proof of this we can't help him. The evidence is strong against him, Emma. He was arrested and sentenced without a trial."

"What about Peter! He was the last to see us-" Emma stuttered, tears flowing down her face still pale from the shock and waking up.

Mellena hugged her crying friend, she had never seen her this way, not ever. She wished she could turn back time and change this, but that was impossible, well, not really, but it was highly illegal.

Arthur's words continued to strike Emma deeply, cutting into her heart at every word he'd repeated to Emma several times already.

Both Mellena and Molly saw how it hurt Arthur to tell her nothing could help, nothing would change, because it was too late. Her mind had been invaded and her memories had been messed with. She couldn't help if she had no proof to give, nor the memory to assure them of Sirius Black's innocents. And truthfully, they didn't want the proof of his innocents because everything pointed to Sirius at this moment. And if he was innocent, then he’d not only have been wrongly imprisoned with no trial, but then they’d be back at square one meaning a traitor, a killer and Death Eater was still on the loose planning against them over the last three years.

Sighing, Arthur rested a hand to the bed’s rail at the end of her bed. "Emma, Peter was murdered by Sirius Black. He killed twelve Muggles in the process. That boy was destroyed, there was nothing to bury, the only thing left was a finger which Remus gave to his mother, and she died six months later." Arthur explained.

Taking a heavy breath, Molly rested a comforting hand to her husband's arm, "Arthur, maybe we should let the kids come see their dear Aunt, I'm sure she'd love to see them, and I think we could all use the distraction." Molly said to him, giving her husband a sad look. 

And as if on cue, a Doctor walked in smiling, "Good news, you're being released into your cousin's care Miss. Evans. I see your family is here, oh Molly, Professor Snape and Dumbledore are with your children, they took them out to the gardens to wait for Miss Evans to change." He informed them as they watched a nurse walk in. 

She must have been new because of her slight blush and her timid nature as she carried a black box in her arms with a red velvet ribbon wrapped around it holding it closed, "Um, a package was delivered just a few moments ago for you Ma'am."

Emma smiled small yet welcoming to her as she handed Emma the box and watched her open it, a happy smile on her face when she moved the packing paper aside to reveal a dress. It was stunning, a deep royal blue.

The nurse was young, early twenties maybe, brown hair and gold eyes with soft features and a kind smile.

"I don't know you, are you new?" The Doctor questioned her in curiosity leading the girl to blush a bit deeper when she turned her attention to the Doctor. "Yes, I started this morning."

"Who delivered that package and what's your name?" The Doctor again questioned, everyone in the room looked curious and concerned, "My name is Sissy, but I don't know when it was delivered or whom it is from. Uh, there was a note on there, ah, here you are. Maybe they left a name? Um, I think I should get back to my rounds. Have a nice day everyone, Miss Evans." and she was out the door and gone.

"I'll leave you ladies to it then," Arthur and the doctor walked out, both heading to the Registry desk and began looking up any new nurses of that week, Sissy was not one of the Nurses. The girl that had been in the room was new, yes, but her name wasn’t ‘Sissy’, her name was Maggie Johnson.

"Doctor, we have a situation." A Nurse said, rushing up to them, her face filled with fright and uncertainty.

Concerned something had happened, the Doctor stiffened and went right into Emergency Doctor mode, "What’s happened?"

"I-I don't know. I found her not ten minutes ago sir,” She said leading them toward the Observation Floor, “We don't know what happened, but she seems to have been rendered unconscious for approximately thirty minutes. We couldn't find you, so we put her in recovery under observation under the care of the Charge Nurse."

"Good, thank you Carrie, you did good." He'd complemented not only because she had done good, but she was also new, and he liked complementing his new Healers, they were so much better at their jobs when complemented and were easier to work with.

Seeing the same feature of the woman who'd delivered Emma’s gift, Arthur and the Doctor shared a concerned expression. "Then who was it that delivered the package to Emma?" Arthur asked with worry. It could have been a trap, something hidden inside under the dress, maybe a gas trap, or worse, an explosive? In a rush they ran back to the room they'd left Emma, Molly and Mellena.

When they’d rushed in, they’d found Emma dressed. The deep royal blue dress was long to the floor and flowed out like a light waterfall, possibly silk with off the shoulder half inch thick straps. Mellena had helped her slip on the long over coat, a darker blue like the dress with Japanese knot buttons clasping just above her chest and down to her waist. It was stunning against her pale skin and deep red hair, even her eyes. The fabric brought each of her traits out in more character. Emma Evans looked alive again.

Both men had to blink a few times, the dress made her seem as if she was a kind of Mythical creature or of fairy tale story Molly would read to the kids, and they weren't going to be the last to think that. "Oh my, terribly sorry ladies, um, but we seem to have a bit of a security problem... Again, Emma did the note say from whom this was from?" Arthur asked. They all saw how worried he was, the Doctor too seemed shaken.

Confused, she shook her head, "No, uh, it said it was anonymous, my necklace was also returned though." She pointed out the beautiful choker she had lost during the attack. However, Emma hadn't known, and no one was going to tell her that the necklace she had been gifted for her birthday was destroyed when the curse rebounded. The thing had been irreparable and irreplaceable. Or so they thought.

"Oh, well at least your necklace was found and returned, we uh- couldn-couldn't find it. I'll be outside with the kids, Ladies." With that he and the doctor walked out, leaving the three women alone in confusion.

"That was odd," Molly said and both girls nodded in agreement.

Moments after staring after the door her husband had rushed out of, Molly smiled and spoke up with excitement, "Now, let's go see the children. They're so desperate to see you awake, especially Bill and Charlie. Poor boys cried for days when we brought them in to see you the first week."

"Well then, let's go see the kids then." Emma smiled, she was glad Molly brought the kids, she had missed three years of their lives and the first few years of the rest of the kids, she had to see them, but she wanted to see Harry. She needed to see him, to hold her nephew and cry and tell him he was safe, and she'd never let anything happen to him ever again. But she couldn't, Petunia had him and she knew Petunia wouldn't let her through the front door.

Walking out to the gardens, Emma's heart clenched tightly as she watched the multiple children running around, an image of little Harry running around with the Weasley kids laughing and smiling, playing and making friends and enjoying life whereas she knew he was miserable with Petunia. He was a child, four years old now, or almost four, and the last time she saw him was when he was screaming and crying for his mum before she was murdered in front of him.

Bill and Charlie froze in their play with their siblings when they watched Emma walk out, the deep royal blue made her pale skin, dark red hair and emerald eyes pop and with her being barefoot it just made her look like a mythical forest princess to them, someone from a fairy tale story their mother would read to them about, "Emma!" Bill screamed and made a dash for his aunt, a wide smile on his face and red hair bouncing as he collided into her arms, his own arms tightly around her waist, "You're awake!"

"Auntie Emma!"

"AUNTIE!"

"Emmie!"

The kids had surrounded her, each one shoving to squeeze in somewhere around to hold onto her. Emma knelt to their level and hugged each one of them, two at a time if she could, she took her time looking at the twins, their wide smiles and how they'd never leave the other. She was suddenly flooded with images flashing through her mind's eye of the boys grown. Their laughter, their smiles, most of all the pranks that made them both laugh the best and loudest. This made her smile, that was the first time she'd been able to do that, and it was all because she'd looked at these two boys, twins, and saw the people she used to have. The Marauder's. She knew she'd hadn't truly lost them, but she felt their absence like a fresh wound to her heart that would never heal. But these boys had made her smile, a real smile, for the first time since she woke up that morning. Emma did the only thing she could think of. She told them a secret that no one else but the three of them would ever know, “ _Special people come in many forms and in many ways, but **'Mischief Managed'** , is a gift to see through the pages.”_ With her secret words Emma kissed their foreheads with a smile. They had been confused of course being only six years old, but they'd figure it out in time.

Emma moved to Ron next and smiled, hugging him tight, a hug that was happily returned by him. But Ginny had been the most precious, because she looked almost like Lily and herself when they were two-three years old with her red hair, the only difference was her bright brown eyes. Her eyes made her look almost like her mum, making her even more precious. Ginny had two loved people in her when Emma looked at the little girl, "Hi," Ginny's little voice spoke softly, her blush made her even more adorable and Emma smiled at this, "Hello, Ginny."

"Are you really our Aunt?"

"If so, who are you related to?" The twins asked, big smiles on their faces.

Huffing with slight irritation at the twin’s Moly crossed her arms, "Of course, she's your real Aunt boys, your father and I found her during her third year at Hogwarts." Molly spoke up for her, the boys smiled and gave a silent 'oh,' the kids pulled Emma around the Garden all seven chasing one another with Emma. Even though the children were a nice distraction for her, Emma couldn't help the painful pang in her chest, Harry wasn't there, he was with Petunia. Knowing exactly what she was going to do, and she'd accomplish it before she ever died. Emma was going to fight for her nephew, Petunia more likely wouldn't put up a fight for him, so it shouldn't be difficult at all. "Albus... I want my nephew back."

**Hogwarts- 3 weeks later**

Emma paced around Albus's office. They had sent letters, via mail, rather than owl, to not spook Petunia or Vernon regarding Harry, but it'd been three weeks and they hadn't heard a thing. However, it was the Minister of Magic himself that had arrived that afternoon, "Miss Evans?" and he didn't look at all pleased.

His arrival shocked both Emma and Dumbledore, but Emma had spoken up at once seeing his displeased arrival, "Minister?"

Dumbledore stood from his desk chair. Curiosity and concern clear on his face. Dumbledore had in fact been taken by surprise by this, "Cornelius? Is everything alright?"

"No, actually it's not, Albus... Unfortunately, I am here on business." His stern glare turned to Emma, a frown set stone like on his slightly aged face, "Miss Evans, it has come to the Ministry's attention that you, and yourself Albus, sent word to Mrs. Dursley, Harry Potter's current guardian, that you, Emma Rose Evans, wished to have custody of the child, correct." His tone was sharp and edged as he stared them both down.

Emma had been on the receiving end of a tone like that quite a few times in her life, _'Thank you McGonagall,'_ the Professor had prepared Emma for something like this in her future when she had always gotten into trouble with the boys. Emma especially felt this way when she had a suspicious feeling that she was about to be under verbal attack, but she kept it subtle... For now. "Yes Sir, we did. Petunia may also be Harry’s Aunt, however, she wants nothing to do with magic… I fear for his safety in her household in truth. She is not the best person to be raising Harry. She does not understand it." Emma stated. This was pure fact.

Dumbledore had made it clear to Emma that he'd only put Harry in the care of the Dursley's because Emma was in critical condition, and since Sirius Black was the only, and **_‘reasonable’,_** suspect involving the Potter's deaths and her attempted murder by Voldemort's very hand that he had been left with very little leeway and power to put the Potter boy in the care of Mellena and her husband Severus Snape like he had wished to so do in the first place.

However, Fudge was about to shock them farther, "Your request has been revised and carefully looked at, Miss Evans. However, saddened as I am to say, that with the current state of things involving the murder of both your sister and Brother-in-law and Peter Pettigrew, not to mention the problem with your ex-Fiancé, Harry's own Godfather, Sirius Black, as their traitor and likely their murderer. Your request be denied until further notice!"

Both Albus and Emma stood frozen in their place, eyes wide and mouths hanging open in shock and disbelief.

Emma's only reaction came in a rather soft, yet feral, "Excuse me?"

Fear shot through Albus as his head shot towards Emma, he had to stop this before she came undone, "Rose!" Albus shouted with a stern look on his face, "Calm yourself, please. Fudge, are you accusing Miss Evans of the involvement in her own family's brutal murder!? If you've any knowledge of the case you'd see that the damage done to that house, outside and as much inside, was caused by a vicious attack by Death Eaters and Voldemort himself! Emma fought that Wizard off by hand and survived against his killing curse simply because he'd driven his wand through her body just to kill her sister and nephew! As the report states, the Auror's themselves, Alastor Moody himself, investigated Emma and that case for months to prove both her and Sirius Black were innocent. Unfortunately, Alastor was only able to absolve Emma of the charges. Her memory has been tampered with due to a wizard slipping into her room hours after the attack and tried erasing her memories, therefore, giving us the conclusion that someone else was involved in the murders of her family. Now, I dare say you not only own this young witch an apology but also a more reasonable explanation as to **why** she is being refused her nephew's custody! She is a **Witch**! Her nephew, young Harry Potter is a **Wizard**! Therefore, leaving Miss. Evans the only one Magically responsible and very much capable to care for the Potter boy now that she is awake!" Albus snapped. This couldn’t possibly be happening! Could it?

Cornelius gave Albus a stern glare, cleared his throat as he glanced between Emma and Albus, "I stand by what I've said! Miss Evans, you have been refused custody of Harry James Potter, until further notice, good afternoon to you both. And furthermore, Albus, the report says nothing of her facing off against that vile wizard! Voldemort is dead! I’d suggest you start speaking like he is!" Cornelius shouted.

Burning with rage, Albus swore if he’d been looking at himself, he may have seen smoke coming from his nostrils. “Fudge! Her memories may have been tampered with, but the destruction of that house, the damage done to Emma, is proof enough he was there! The power that was left in those walls screams volumes! Her memory says a dark figure regarding the traitor, but it is Voldemort’s very face she sees clearly as she fights him! The power in that house that was left behind says Voldemort! He’s the only wizard alive besides a few others in this world, none of whom are allied with him! So, if you have another reason behind that dark and evil power that was left there in Godric’s Hollow, please enlighten both Miss. Evans and myself.” Albus growled. His anger spiking in folds at Cornelius’s outrageous claims and reasons.

Saying nothing beside a few grumbles here and there, Cornelius Fudge started the Headmaster of Hogwarts down. Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, walked from Dumbledore's office and left, leaving a stunned Emma nearly in a panic.

Albus rushed from around his desk towards the young Witch as she began hyperventilating, heavy tears rolled down her face, "Emma, Harry will be safe for now, no matter how much you absolutely despise the idea of Harry being with Petunia, he is safe from any possible danger of our world for the time being. However, you have my word that we will fight this. We'll get your nephew back into your arms as soon as we can, I swear." He had hoped that would have helped her relax, least of all to calm her panic. Unfortunately, it seemed to have made it worse. Dumbledore began panicking himself when she was unable to not only calm herself down but seemed to begin having issues breathing. The moment Emma’s legs began to falter he was thankful he had strength in his body to catch her and ease them both to the steps of his office.

"Phineas! Fetch Poppy and find Minerva, please. Quickly! Emma, breath, please You have to breath dear girl." Albus had handed Emma off immediately to Minerva and Poppy when the two women had arrived.

Albus watched with slight relief as Minerva and Poppy rushed in minutes later, fear and worry flashing over their faces as they moved for the fallen girl instantly and pulling the crying redhead into Minerva’s arms.

The moment McGonagall had Emma in her arms, Emma let loose the most heart wrenching cry any of them had ever thought they'd heard in their lives, and that was saying something for three of the oldest witches and wizards in the room.

Severus walked after a fleeing Dumbledore after rushing behind Minerva after getting word of the rushed and frightful news. He fought back his eagerness to pull Emma away from Minerva and somewhere safe. Unfortunately, there was no such place like that currently existing, because the only place Emma Rose Evans ever felt safe was in the arms of Sirius Black. "What happened?"


	3. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

**1987**

"Aunt Emma! Percy took my shoe!" Ron whined.

Emma couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her. The boys were always doing things to one another. After a while Emma found many things funny, "Percy, be nice to your brother and give him back his shoe. Now, please?" Though it was not a request she had said it with a soft, yet stern tone.

Emma would go back and forth between families; The Weasley’s, Snape's, The Tonks's, the Malcolm's every now and then, Klay seemed to have become distant to her and guarded, Holly and their growing family was the only reason she continued to go to them, Klay gave off the attitude he wanted nothing much to do with her and Mel’s. Aside from that Emma would also even visit Augusta Longbottom, who had searched her out six months after hearing that Emma had woken up from her three-year coma. 

But, with the utmost secrecy, Emma would visit with Narcissa. Fortunately, Narcissa was the only one who knew who Emma was when she was there, the disguise was necessary according to Sissy. The thought of Narcissa had Emma trailing down memory lane, starting with Christmas Eve in Godric’s Hollow Cemetery of '84;

**-Flashback-**

_Emma had heard heels clapping against the snow-covered ground, though she thought nothing of it. She was there visiting James and Lily. But her visitation had been distracted by a voice that came through the cold night air, a voice Emma hadn't heard in a very long time, and she was shocked more than anything that she knew the voice likely belonged to. She had only heard her voice in the passing of the halls before she graduated, then she was never heard from again. Emma had only met the girl, now a woman, once._

_Truthfully, Emma thought she had been imagining things. That had been done when she came face to face with Narcissa Black, now Malfoy, since she had married Lucius Malfoy soon after her graduation from Hogwarts._

_"Narcissa?" Emma asked, she probably sounded just as shocked as she felt. She'd been standing there for nearly two hours in the cold, snowy night when Narcissa had found her. Emma was even more shocked when the blonde had rushed her with a happy smile and tears in her eyes, even more shocked, when Narcissa hugged Emma in a near bone crushing hug and began crying, "I'm so sorry... I thought I had been fast enough telling Severus what they had planned... I was just so relieved when I found the necklace in Harry's room, when Severus told me you were alive weeks later."_

_Emma thought she couldn’t have been more stunned than she already was, but she had once again found herself proven wrong as she listened, and everything began to piece together._ **1)** _Narcissa was the inside source Severus had refused to give up_ **2)** _She was the anonymous person that had gifted Emma with the charmed necklace her third year and_ **3)** _The dress Robes she had been gifted had also come from her as well._

_Narcissa was the one that used a Polyjuice potion of the Nurse and had hand delivered it to her, as to not look suspicious by not only her husband, but by the rest of the Orders enemies that were still out there trying to recollect the Dark Lords’ work in his absence. The biggest question Emma had was, "Why? Why do all of this? Helping me, trying to save us? All of it, why? I’ve only ever spoken to you once and that was on the train my first year. And that was how many years ago?" Emma questioned her, but now that she had actually thought of the years it made no sense to her as to why Narcissa would make a big fuss over her life and the other’s._

_Narcissa had sniffed, holding Emma's arms firmly as she nodded, understanding why Emma was being so suspicious. And she was right, Narcissa had only ever truly met Emma her first year. The day she got her busted lip then after that her and her sister had kept a rather scarcest distance between them until they’d graduated. "Because, you have done what no other had ever done, you made Bella smile when no one had been able to, not even me. I might have once agreed with some blood statue opinions, but all I see when I look at you is a talented, smart, and very strong and powerful witch. You may look like her, but your hair is different, you are two very different people. She was only a child of course, but she was scared and frightened, a fragile thing, but she made Bella smile. You, you're strong and loving towards no matter who or what they are. A warm heart that my family hasn't had in years. If they ever had it."_

_Emma was confused, Narcissa continued saying ‘her’ and ’she’, "Who's_ 'her' _, Narcissa?" Emma had to know, she had to ask. Who was she so similar too yet so different from?_

_"Melganna Black, she was five when my family killed her and her mother. It's a long story, but how about we get some tea or coffee? If you'll let me?" Narcissa asked, her eyes full of pleading hope, her face smiling with equal hope. She was just so relieved she was alive, that she was able to speak to her. To someone she had tried to save, a life she had succeeded in saving._

_Emma wanted to say no, but Narcissa had risked so much behind the lines for someone she barely knew, all because she had made Bellatrix smile? And Emma had never known about it. Narcissa had tried to save Lily and James, the charmed necklace had saved her very own life, or so she thought, even though it shouldn't have. But the look in Narcissa's eyes begged her to say yes. It was a look of desperation and fear. A look of a woman who had no one but her husband and son, no friend to talk to, to turn to, no one but her mind to tell things too. "Uh, ye-yeah, definitely. There's a nice café down the road, it's small but it's nice and quiet."_

_When Narcissa smiled her big smile Emma saw it was filled with pure excitement and gratitude, Emma instantly felt sorry for her, she had no one to speak freely too, no friend to comfort her, to tell her it was okay to do something, that it was alright to do anything in her power to protect a loved one. And Emma figured that was exactly what the pure-blooded Witch needed. A friend to talk to, a friend who would listen._

_Emma had moved from the headstones and waited patiently for Narcissa as she stood staring heartbroken at the names. Emma’s heart fell for her as she watched the woman kneeling and with a gentle wave of her wand and grew a bouquet of flowers around the head stone, a bouquet of white roses and Lilies with forget me not’s laced intertwined together in a wreath formation._

_Emma's heart warmed instantly._

_They’d spent hours talking and laughing over several cups of tea that night. Finding it so early in the morning, nearly 4 a.m., they said their goodbyes._

_They’d planned weekly met ups since then and Narcissa had started bringing Draco with her. Even though he looked like his father, he had some of his mother in him. Though she had to work passed his played off arrogance he had gotten from watching his father, though Narcissa had him well under control._

_Sadly, Narcissa had nearly been found out, she knew what could possibly happen, to not only Emma, but herself and her son if one of the Death Eaters caught on with the weekend tea. She had made a plan with Emma to simply use a color charm on Emma's hair and eyes. Changing them bright blue and her hair dark brown, even going as far as using some connections in Lucius's department as a way to get documents, real documents, created for Emma's change identity for when she was around the Malfoy Family, Mira Black. A distant cousin she had told her husband about._

_"I haven't heard from her in years. She and I both reached out, shockingly at the same time, and I have invited her for tea and dinner.” At her husband’s scowl Narcissa glared to him with a stern, “Be nice Lucius, I love this cousin dearly."_

That had been three years ago, and the Death Eaters had yet to figure it out, for that they were relieved.

Emma was moving between 12 Grimmauld Place and the Potter Estate that Dumbledore had graciously taken care of while she was in coma. Andromeda had taken care of the old family estate Sirius had inherited and Kreacher, something Emma was ever more grateful for.

Currently, Emma was helping Molly cook Dinner. She was still being refused Guardianship of Harry and it was beginning to strain her, how much longer could they refuse her, her nephew?

Narcissa had tried getting access to his files, but found it harder than she had thought, **_"Emma, if I help you get your nephew, I need you to do something for me, but it won't be easy..."_**

Emma could only nod, the woman had secretly done so much without her family knowing it, saved her life without her knowing it and her nephew’s life, **_"If the Dark Lord returns, I want you to take Draco, far before he can mark him..."_**

She wouldn't lie, Emma had been baffled and speechless. Narcissa would trust the care of her son, her pride and joy, in Emma's hands, but nonetheless Emma had agreed. Even if Emma never got custody of Harry, she knew she could never, would never, let another child suffer at the hands of that vile Wizard again. Not if she had a chance to stop it.

Her mind then turned from Narcissa and Harry to Remus. Emma had been trying for years to get Remus to allow her to help him with a stable living situation. The poor were-wolf wizard had been moving from place to place doing poorly paid odd jobs just to feed himself since '81. All because a sociopath were-wolf had wanted his pathetic excuse of revenge against his parents and had taken it out on a five-year-old child.

That had sadly been the thought Molly had woken Emma up from, a dark thought she was grateful for being interrupted from.

"Emma, are you alright there dear?" Molly caught her in one of her crazy long thoughts and daydreams. 

Nodding with a sad smile, Emma looked to the woman who’d taken her into her home, her family and her heart as a sister and daughter. "Oh, yes. I'm alright Molly, promise." 

"Aunt Emmie, I lost Scabbers again, Fred and George keep letting him out," Percy whined with a bit of a pout. His little brothers were really beginning to take their toll on him. Emma and Molly couldn’t help but bite back their laughter at the poor boy. "Try the Garden, hopefully he didn't get into the Rosemary or Lavender in the Herb house."

"Thank you, Emma!" He shouted rushing off to find his rat.

"You're quite good with the children, all of them, even the Malfoy boy." Molly only knew about that because she had turned to telling Molly everything, and she did the same with Narcissa, they told one another everything, but they left their talks between themselves, only spoke about the children and how they'd been growing. 

Dumbledore had taken it upon himself to write to her about Harry's growth, how he was doing in the Muggle schools and with the Dursleys.

She had recently been sent some pictures of Harry. Dumbledore had stated in the letters that the pictures were from Petunia. None of them showed a smiling boy. They were hastily taken with little care and no regard for the child's happiness.

Harry was miserable, and Emma hated herself and she despised Petunia, as well as held a strong distastefulness towards the Ministry of Magic for refusing her Guardianship.

How could someone treat their nephew that way? With no care in the world, he was growing up thinking he was unloved by his entire family, feeling alone in his life. Petunia had more likely come up with a crazy story about how his parents died, that Emma herself was probably dead too. Emma had even gone as far as firmly believing Petunia had probably told him she was taking the photos to post them around to see if someone would just take him off their hands, so they'd be free of the poor boy. Now, as harsh as that rattling though was, Emma knew she was thinking vindictively towards her older sister simply because she had custody of Harry, it had never occurred to her that Petunia was getting just as annoyed and more impatient when no one answered her regarding someone taking Harry.

**Dursley's**

"Petunia, why on earth are you still up, it's midnight." Vernon said with a noisy yawn, rubbing his eyes clean of the sleep. "What's wrong?" He finally saw what was keeping his wife awake when he had sat next to her at the dining room table. He saw the anger, her irritation, her hatred and disappointment as he watched her take a deep breath in as she began.

Her face turning red as she spoke, "It's been three years, every month to every week we get those stupid and annoying letters from her saying she wants that boy. If she wants him so bloody bad, then she can take him! That freak is going to ruin our lives Vernon, I want him gone!"

With a tired yawn Vernon shrugged, he’d been thinking the same thing for years since they’d gotten the boy, but he wasn’t going to act on it unless his wife agreed to do so, "Well, then we'll take him to an orphanage in the morning, be rid of the freakish creature, it'll resettle our funds and we won't be wasting money on him." Vernon said clearly, like that could be it and it would be over.

This led to Petunia huffing and puffing at her husband, "Vernon, you know we can't be rid of him that easily. Those freaks could show up at our doorstep and probably do something horrible! I fear them so much, I don't know what to do, I never wanted those things in our lives, let alone our home, least of all related to us, t-to Dudley! I am making that boy in there as miserable as I possibly can just in the deepest amount of hopes that either he'll grow out of this freakish state or someone will show up and take him from us." Petunia huffed, rubbing her forehead of the migraine that was on its way. If Petunia wasn't careful, she'd give herself a stroke.

"Then be patient, Petunia. Didn't we get something from a thing called minster, no… Ministry, yes, Ministry of... of... oh, whatever, we got a letter from something that was very high in ranks, or something like that, stating we were that boy's permanent guardian. Why, I don't believe it said, but that Emma was fighting them to get that creature. Now, we never got documents to just... turn him over... Did we?" He asked, thinking, for the first time since they got Harry, about it now that the thought had occurred to him.

"No, I don't believe we did, which means-" 

"They probably don't want her having him at all." Vernon finished with a depressed sighed, rubbing his face, his own migraine beginning.

"Vernon, this is my sister we are talking about. Emma is worse than Lily when provoked, if she wants that boy, she'll be damned if she doesn't walk through that front door and take him, permission of Guardianship or not, and I won't stop her."

And they were right, Emma was worse than Lily when provoked, simply because she had learned it all from Lily and had succeeded in perfecting it. Partially.

**1990**

"Emma, Dumbledore has asked for you," Augusta said as Emma walked out into the backyard watching Neville playing with one of Augusta's dogs. The elder woman was gently petting the neck of a large barn owl with bright blue eyes. Its white feathers splotched with light brown around it.

Emma smiled and giggled, she knew who that owl was, "Thank you Augusta, thank you Mell." The owl hooted and ruffled its feathers cutely at her and flew off.

"Here is your tea, I'll go give Neville a hug and head off." Emma said smiling happily and she and the Longbottom Grandmother hugged, "Do come back darling, Neville and I enjoy your company. I'd love nothing more than to have you around him as he grows. You have been doing wonderfully since I searched you out those few years ago."

"Of course, I'll be back, Augusta!”

“Neville will be starting next year, but his magic has yet to show, I worry for him." Augusta said with a tired and wishful sigh while she watched her grandson.

Unsure why she thought of this, Emma mentioned something that Severus had told her once, "Severus told me once that sometimes a child's magic could be activated when a serious situation scares them enough that their magic comes out to protect them. But I think it was just a crazy thing he was telling me, I don't know how serious it is."

But Augusta hadn't heard Emma's ending, all she heard was **_'serious situation happening that their magic comes out to protect them,'_** "Very good dear, now don't keep that old bird waiting, it's bad manners. See you at dinner."

Emma had arrived in Dumbledore's office, a place she was beginning to become far too familiar with, "I believe I was summoned," she joked, though everyone's smiling faces had caught her off guard, "What?"

Minerva smiled wide, tears almost running over the rims of her eyes, this just made her worry more, "What?"

"The Ministry has decided to give you permission to trial for Harry." Minerva said, this nearly had Emma's heart stopping.

_'A trial?'_

"Harry beginning’s next year, they have agreed that while he is here, that you meet him, speak with him. However, there is a bit of a downfall. They want you to spend time with him for three years out of your care, meaning he’d still be returning to Petunia at the end of each year. However, by the end of his third year or the start of his fourth year, you should have custody. Now of course it could very well be sooner but it's worth a try, correct?" Dumbledore said, a happy smile as he watched Emma jump up in joy, she didn't care about any kind of custody at that moment, she could see her nephew. She had missed enough of his life she wouldn't miss anymore.

"Emma, whatever are you jumping for?" Snape asked as he walked in, "I can see Harry as of next year, custody should be granted shortly afterwards!"

"And how, may I ask, do you know it'll be done so soon, Emma? Fudge has proven over the last five years that he can remove this privilege as soon as he wishes." McGonagall asked. Now she was getting worried, Emma had just been given amazing news though Minerva feared Emma was getting her hopes up a bit too high. But if she knew Emma, it may be more possible than they thought. Especially since Emma had a few friends in the Ministry, Sissy was only one of them with a hand in the Beehive and the other in the cookie jar, whereas others, like Augusta, that not only had a strong hold on a few people balls, but had advantages in the Ministry that very few people, close to none, would try anything against.

Alastor Moody was one of them.

**_ Flashback - _ **

**_1985_ **

_Emma had yet again been refused her nephew's custody, she couldn't imagine the damage Petunia must be causing to that poor boy, she had gone to the Ministry several times, demanded a trial, begged for Children services of the Magical Community to intervene, they hadn’t._

_Kreacher and Andromeda had sat with her, giving their best attempts to soothe her, worst of all, it was once again Christmas._

_"Those bunch of morons have no clue the damage that family can and has done to that boy! It's a loud of Dragon shit and made of nonsense in keeping that boy from you! Lily and James must be rolling in their graves!" Alastor ranted on as he continued reading the ridiculous letter, trying to think of a way to get through to the_ 'Seated Bucket Heads' _as Moody had stated, making everyone, even Remus, to laugh. Alastor had made the comment that someone else may want to do the talking otherwise she'd never get her nephew._

_Remus always loved Christmas, holidays in general, but after his mother had passed, he'd stopped going home and began spending more and more time around Emma and others or working day and night to at least try to have enough to keep the apartment he was in, though it never seemed to be enough._

Emma smiled at the memory, "I think I'll have it covered Minerva, thank you so much. Oh, may I keep that letter?"

As soon as Dumbledore handed it over gladly, Emma hugged him then Minerva and rushed out.

She had to tell the others.


	4. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

**July 25, 1991**

"What do you mean Hagrid is having difficulty getting the letter to him?" Emma was confused, how difficult could it be to get a letter to a kid. That was until a thought hit her, _'Vernon. You repulsive git. Probably burned the damned thing.'_ Emma thought, taking a calming breath knowing she needed to remain as calm as possible while currently sitting in the living area of the Snape family home. She was glad they lived far in the countryside. It was a nice home, two stories at the edge line of the woods for Mellena to go for her runs if she wished it. 

Emma had been spending time with her dear friends’ twins, Horus and Athella, and their parents. She knew it would do no good to explode here, let alone over something like this, but the years of being refused her nephew was really pushing its toll on her but Emma still couldn't help but smile at Mellena’s and Severus’s son's name.

Severus had told Mellena she could name the children since he had no idea what to offer as a suggestion, he had no outstanding role models, until he'd remembered Horus Slughorn, his potions master before he took over the position.

Mellena had gladly given their son that honor, she had even written her previous Potions Master and asked him for his permission, one he gladly gave and was most honored to have been thought of, wishing the family his best. The twins had been born July 28th, 1984, the irony of the month they'd been born, Neville being born July 30th, 1980 and Harry being born July 31, 1980. They were only four years younger than the boys.

Nodding, Albus slightly nibbled on a few crackers while he waited on his tea. "He isn't quite sure yet, but he is working on it. I've given him permission to use some minimal magic to make sure he got the letter, well, letters to be exact, to Harry." Dumbledore said lightly, Emma could have sworn he'd blushed under that white beard of his and nearly giggled.

"Grandpa, mummy asked me to bring you your tea." Athella said, smiling up to him as she set the tea and saucer on the small table next to the armchair.

Emma watched the interaction between the seven-year-old little girl and her grandfather. Even though he was technically the ‘great-grandfather’ they hadn't cared and left it as it was.

Albus didn't seem to mind, he and Aberforth got to spoil the kids twice as much either way, "Thank you, my dear," Dumbledore smiled at the little girl.

Athella had been born with her father’s dark hair color, long and soft, it was like a feather when you ran your fingers through her hair. But there was a uniqueness about it, at the very front right of her temple, Athella had a single sliver of blonde from her mother. Her eyes were bright blue and popped just like Mellena's. Whereas her brother, Horus, had dirty blond hair in waves from their mother and dark eyes just like Severus. They were an interesting set of twins.

Gabby had kept the name ‘Mellena’, even when she had returned to her original features. She'd missed her dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. In truth, she loved it all the more when she’d gotten the chance to see her real face for the first time just a few years after the Potter’s Massacre.

Athella smiled, happy she had made her grandfather smile then turned to her dearest Aunt, "Aunnie Rose," The sweet little girl hadn't been able to pronounce Aunt or Auntie once she started speaking and as she grew Athella had simply stuck with 'Aunnie' no matter how many times they had all tried correcting her, it never worked, "Would you like some tea?" She asked, her blue eyes sparkling.

Emma kissed the top of her head, "Yes sweet girl, tea would be lovely, thank your mother when you get in there for me and thank you dear Ella, you're an amazing little helper." They watched the little girl giggle and bounce off back into the kitchen to her smiling mother.

Emma grinned back at Dumbledore, who was, understandably, lightly laughing at his grandchild as she tried helping Mellena in the kitchen, though she wasn't doing half bad, anyone would find the little one adorable. But Emma’s curiosity had grown after being in a coma for three years, so she had to ask, "Letters? What letters?" Emma had a bit of an idea that she was probably going to enjoy this one. And she was right, Emma was nearly dying of laughter in the chair as Albus explained to her what had happened just a few days ago. "He put them in the eggs?"

Dumbledore chuckle a bit as he took a sip of his tea, he couldn't help the slight wince he gave when he found that it was quite literally more sugar than tea and coughed a bit, "Yes, then flooded the house with the letters through the chimney."

"Oh, I have to give that man a hug when he gets back." Emma laughed.

Mellena giggled taking the teacup from her ‘father’ gently and handed him a new one with a bit of her motherly raised brows, a silent apology to Dumbledore and handed Emma hers'. Mellena had told Athella she could add the sugar cubs, but hadn't realized the seven-year-old had put four too many, "Dinner's ready, Emma are you staying for dinner? There's plenty for everyone."

"Of course she's staying for dinner, Mellena. She has barely seen us all year. She's been so worked up about her memories, a break from that should be dinner with her family." Severus said as he walked in from his study, he was exhausted that week. He had in fact been the one helping her.

Emma had allowed him into her mind to find something she may have missed or overlooked herself. A pair of non-biased eyes, if you'd say. Though it had remained the same, the figure that was the non-Sirius Secret Keeper was nothing but a shadowed figure, their voice always distorted and barely audible, until it came to fighting Voldemort. The deep feeling of darkness that was around the body she fought against was enough for her to know it was, in fact, the Dark Lord, until she’d seen his face once the hood had fallen from his head then she was entirely sure it was him.

"Are you sure you don't mind? I really do love your cooking, Mell." Emma had eventually gotten over the fact Gabby may still be alive in body, but the old Gabrielle had, in fact, died the night she had tried to save her, this was the new Gabby, and her name was officially Mellena, and Emma had expected that, unlike a few others they’d once held so dearly to them in the past, Klay and Remus were a few faces that came to mind before any other’s. Mellena was still her best friend and always would be. Unfortunately, Emma had not gotten her lost memories back, granted a spell had been used on her to erase them, or manipulated them, but thankfully, they had not fully seceded, the only thing that was missing was **who** the replacement Secret Keeper was, though everyone was still set that Sirius had betrayed her family. Remus was even set on it and Emma had done the same for Sirius as she had for Remus all those years ago **.**

**_"You're a fool, Remus Lupin. He loves us, loved them. He'd have died before betraying any of us, just as you would have like I nearly did because it wasn't only the right thing to do. I was fighting for something, for someone. And I'll do it again, even if death takes me this time. I'll do it for you, Harry and Sirius. For all of them. If I have to die to keep them alive, I will… You're more than welcome to stay here, though I'll warn you, it does get quite lonely... But James would have wanted you to have a nice, warm bed to sleep in, and as do I, as well as a welcomed home for you to come to if you're ever in need of something. The manor is yours to use if you chose to. It's in my name until Harry is of age to claim it, same to Grimmauld Place. Another place you are welcomed to visit if you’d like."_ **

_Remus sighed sadly, the same argument happened every time she tried convincing him of Sirius's innocence and he didn't understand why she was so determined to prove it. Sirius was the only one to know anything about the locations, not even he knew what was going on or where they were being moved, or when. **"Well, where are you going?"**_

**_"I'm spending a few days away, I have rounds with some families, you're more than welcome to come if you'd like. I'm sure they'd love to see you again after all the years you've been gone. Mell misses you, but there's only one place you cannot follow me, and trust me, I'll know."_ ** _She said tapping her nose a bit playfully with a grin._

_Remus smiled with some laughter, a sad smile taking place as his eyes found a light scar over her collar bone, **"I'll never forgive myself. The claw marks are slightly scared, I can see them just a little, but that's because I know they are there. Anyone else wouldn't be able to see them, for that I am grateful they healed so well. I just wish they would have healed without scarring."** Remus sighed, moving from his spot in the kitchen archway to stand in front of her, mere inches away, his eyes trailing the claw marks over her collar bone and disappearing into the front of her royal blue dress, his fingers itched to trace the scars, but he knew if he would, he may just cause a bigger rift between them than there already was, a rift named Sirius Black. He had continued to ask for years who had given her the dress, but she still hadn't fessed up as to who it came from. Worst of all, Remus knew she knew who it was, and it was killing him not knowing, she was all he had left. A bitter taste had come to his mouth at thinking of Gabrielle, or _Mellena _as she was called, **"And her name is Gabrielle, she needs to realize she can't run from her past. None of us can."** He'd said it like it was dirt in his mouth. Remus had regretted it the second he watched her eyes narrow and turn from him and head for the door after picking up her small bag of belongings and broom as she opened the door to leave._

**_"Have a nice week Remus, as I said, the house is at your use as you please to use it. please help yourself. I'll be home in a few days."_ **

Just like that, she was gone. That was a month ago, she had frequently gone back to check on him, and gone through his transformation with him, but he had acted a little weird. Emma simply thought it was because that had been their first from some time, well, ever truthfully.

"Are you and Remus still not on steady speaking grounds?" Mellena had asked in her usual concerned tone over the sink as they cleaned up the mess from dinner.

Severus had gone upstairs with the twins, putting the kids to bed and leaving the two ladies free to talk on more troubling matters without the children being in earshot.

"No, I don't know how to talk to him anymore Mell. I understand he's hurt, after losing James and Lily, and Peter, then having Sirius accused of it made it all the more painful. Then we lost Harry, I'm all he has now. You've got Severus and the kids, and he's too stubborn to go see anyone anymore. I'm lucky if he even comes to see me, or if I can find him. He barely lets me help him with his transformations, I was lucky to even be able to help him two months ago, least of all last month. He's constantly refusing to let me help him now. It's like he wants to be alone." Emma sighed sadly at the sink. It hurt to think Remus wouldn’t trust her, that he was set in believing Sirius, his dearest friend, had actually killed James and her sister, and believing Sirius would have ever had the nerve to hurt her even made Emma sick and it did worse to Remus as the years moved forward.

"Then let him be alone for a while longer, sooner or later he will realize it was better to have others there than no one at all." Dumbledore spoke up with a sigh, "However, as much as I'd like to stay longer, I must be going. There is a school to get ready for new arriving students... Oh, and Mellena, dear, I look forward to having you as the Transfiguration assistant with Minerva. Emma, I must say now as I'm thinking of this, that I find Hogwarts in need of a new teacher aid for the school, for the teachers that may find it hard to appear in class. Professor Mervilus is retiring, he said he thought teaching was the right path for him, but however saddened that he found it was not."

Emma was speechless and excited, but she realized that she didn't have the credentials to be a teacher aid, "Albus, I'm deeply honored, but I don't-"

Raising a silencing hand to the stuttering and blushing young woman, Dumbledore grinned with light laughter, "I thought you'd say that. However, it happens that I have found your credentials in a stack of files I had misplaced on my desk just last week." He said as he began rummaging through a large pocket in his robes coat, "Ah, here you are." He said, pulling a set of files from his pocket and handing them to the shocked red-haired witch.

Chuckling with slight amusement, Emma nodded her thanks to him but held back any more possibly laughter "Albus, you can't keep falsifying records." Both Mellena and Emma stated in unison. And they were right, eventually he’d be caught and then he’d been in a lot of trouble. He was too kind and hardworking to be given such a horrible punishment if he was ever unveiled to be doing such things.

Albus smiled with glee, knowing they were concerned for his well-being and career as Headmaster. But he knew what was coming and raised a hand to regain silence, the grin still plain on his happy face, "They are ligament, Emma Evans. You've been assisting us on the grounds and security around the School with Mr. Filch and you have even assisted the Professors in class, as well as the students, even Madam Hooch on the Quidditch fields, all since 1984 when you woke up. And during that time of me seeing your hard work and knowing it would only take longer for you to acquire these documents, I did the paperwork myself for you. You have been able to apply as a Hogwarts Professor, or an Aid, for a while now. However, that is my fault, I did forget to inform you of this, my apologies. But they are now yours..." He said with a smile and headed for the door, "I shall see you ladies at the start of school in September, Goodnight, give my grandchildren a kiss for me in the morning, Mellena."

Smiling, she gave the man a warm embrace before he departed, "Of course, goodnight Albus." They waited until the door clicked shut before they hugged one another jumping up and down like schoolgirls gushing over a boy that just looked at them.

"What on earth are you two women doing? It is 9 o'clock at night I just got the twins to-" however, the sounds they began hearing from upstairs left them all frozen where they stood. 

The floorboards on the top floor were slowly and lightly squeaking under heavy feet. Feet that shouldn’t be there. Panic set in when the three of them heard a door open then close.

Severus, wanting his wife and Emma to stay put, moved his hand out for his wife to stop her, "Mell-" but the girls were already making a run for the stairs and past Severus.

Emma grabbed Mellena and held her back behind her, she didn't have her wand and Emma would die before she lost Mellena like she lost Lily, "Mell, if that is an enemy then they will kill the both of you if you're seen, Severus, you cannot be seen if it's a Death Eater." She told them both sternly. They did not have time for this, but she needed them to think!

"Those are my children, the longer we stand here talking the longer they have to kill them or take them both-"

"Daddy!"

"Mummy!"

Mellena screamed with a fearful panic, pushing passed the two and running up the stairs for her children.

Emma had been lucky Severus had grabbed her around her waist as Mellena shoved past her, otherwise, she’d have been taking a lovely trip down the wooden stairs.

Severus reached out for his wife while trying to catch Emma from falling, but he’d missed her by an inch as he rushed up behind her, Emma hot on their heels.

Both parents found one door closed, leading to Horus's room, Athella’s was empty of the child. What scared them more was Horus’s bedroom door was locked, their children know to never lock the doors to their rooms. Severus had only one thought ringing in his mind, his kids. Grabbing Mellena from the door she tried putting her body through it grew rather annoying and moved her aside, "Sorry Mellena.” Instantly the door blew open, sending the door and the rem into splinters.

Standing in the dark of the room they found a cloaked figure with both struggling kids in their arms trying to get out the window. Severus lifted his wand, moving it in an upward flick. The invader was lifted up by his ankles, dropping the kids who made a run for their mum and aunt just as a curse was sent towards their father. Severus deflected it easily.

With Severus’s distraction, the intruder had released them-self from the bind and was slipping out the window, disappearing into the night, "I'm notifying the Order," Emma said, spinning the Order’s coin against the wooden floors.

Severus could only nod, he wanted to know who the bloody hell thought it was a bright idea to invade his home and try kidnapping his kids! He wanted their blood. "Mell, take the kids to your father’s or Uncles. I want you all safe, the children will be coming to Hogwarts with us. There are housing units there we can use on the grounds, no one is getting near you three again." This was the night Severus Snape would change forever. He became cold towards his students, though he still showed his love towards his wife and children, even showed he's sisterly love towards Emma, but everyone else he was cold and distant, he began calculating his every move towards helping Dumbledore keeping Harry alive and protecting him of the remaining dangers and darkness.

**September 1st, 1991**

Emma was excited, she was bouncing around the Castle in her Animagus form. 

Dumbledore had just verified that Harry was indeed attending Hogwarts this year, all thanks to Hagrid, but that wasn't the only reason she was excited, Hagrid had told her she was going with him that night to pick up the first years.

"Excited are ya, Foxy?" Hagrid couldn't help but laugh, "Come on then, le's get a move on, can't keep 'em waitin'."

The two of them sat at the station for an hour before the train arrived. Emma's heart was pounding, she'd sat next to Hagrid, constantly shifting in her seat.

Hagrid sighed, seeing her fidgeting little body and out of habit for Fang and Mal, he began petting the top of her head and scratching behind her ear. Even if she was a human being, she was also an Animagi, and her animal form loved her ears being petted. 

Emma wouldn't have been in her Animagi form if that hadn't been a part of the deal for this encounter. 

Dumbledore and Hagrid had both agreed, even Minerva, that Emma would likely freeze up and possibly panic then have an emotional breakdown when she first saw Harry in person after so many years. So, to get it out of the way, and in a better-controlled environment, Hagrid had suggested that she go with him to pick up all the first years as Fox. That way she could have her fun-loving fury moment and get it all out of her system before classes began the next morning.

Emma had been so happy he'd suggested this, because in truth they were right. She was already panicking as the days got closer. How would she react, how would he react? Could she explain any of this to Harry? How could she explain why she had been refused his custody and why she didn't claim custody the moment his parents were killed? Okay, the last part she knew how he'd take that, he'd more likely see reason and understand she was in a coma for three years, but he'd take a hard blow to the explanation as to why the Ministry had refused her to gain his Guardianship when she woke up. Because she didn't truly have an answer. At least not a reasonable one to her.

They watched the kids collecting off the train. This was the first time Emma had ever seen the kids unloading from the train besides when she was a student herself. But as she watched, memories flooded her mind and began drowning her, her deep emerald eyes flooded with tears.

**_Her eleven-year-old self-rushed up to Severus, Lily trailing behind her as she waved the Hogwarts letter in the air, "Sev! I'm going to Hogwarts! I get to stay with you and Lily forever!"_ **

**_"Lily, I'm scared,"_ **

**_"Emma Rose Evans. You will be fine, you're a smart girl and quick on your feet. "_ **

Then came the memory of the scar she still graced her lip, Bellatrix’s voice was still smooth yet filled with annoyance as she remembered the wild-haired girl looking at her busted lip, **_"Prat that Avery is, he got you a nice one too little cub."_**

She remembered finding the Marauder's, Remus reading Peter Pan and the other boys laughing, even James until he'd seen her busted lip **, _"What happened to your lip?"_** Her thoughts turned to her deceased friend and sister, _'No one will ever hurt him, I promise you both that. On my life, Harry James Potter will live to see the day he has a happy life.'_ She made a silent promise up to their family.

Emma couldn't help but giggle a little when her thoughts turned back to the boys, her first time meeting them, _**"Uh, sorry. Got lost."**_

**_"So, she does talk. Now, your lip. What happened?"_** James had asked about her lip yet again. He’d always been protective of her, even more so as she got older.

**_"You're the Marauders, aren't you?"_ **

**_"What was your name again?"_** She remembered Remus smiling and asking her name. She remembered how happy she had been when she was finally able to see he's eye color, green, _**"Emma. Emma Rose Evans..."**_ She remembered she had been oggling at not only him, but all of them.

She remembered how happy and scared Lily was when she walked up with James tiredly, remembered how Lily had begun fretting about the busted lip that Avery had so graciously given her. The scar was still there, very light but still very much there. She remembered being sorted into Gryffindor, _**"Evans, Emma!"**_

**_"Loyal, like a Hufflepuff, however, your heart cries different, a heart of a Lioness, quick on your feet and a joy for fun. A fighter and smarts I can see. Kindness is key, you are right. Great potential to, I can see..._** **_GRYFFINDOR!"_**

She remembered running down the hall into her sister's open arms, _**"Lily!"** _And for a single moment, Emma swore she could still feel the tight grip Lily had around her. Her arms, the warmth, the smell of her perfume.

**_"Marry me, Lily Evans."_ **

**_"I do, James Potter."_** That had been one of the happiest nights of James's life, Lily Evans had accepted his marriage proposal.

**_"He finally asked her, it's about time,"_** Sirius had whispered into her hair that night while they watched the two. Emma had been overjoyed when Lily had said yes, her sister was finally happy.

Then the years molded together all the way up to that fateful night _, **"FOX!"**_

**_"LILY!"_ **

**_"AVADA KEDAVRA!"_** A green flash of light across her own green emerald eyes from the memory, the last moment she had seen her family, was the moment Emma had been staring at the face of the Wizard who’d taken everything from her.

Emma hadn't realized she had in fact begun crying. Her small whimpers from her fox self were staring at the swarm of children and hadn't seen the dark-haired boy with green eyes and round glasses smiling at them as Hagrid moved to meet up with him. All she saw was James in body and Lily all in his eyes. " _Fox_ , meet Harry... Fox? Foxy?"

Harry had followed Hagrid to the bench he'd been sharing with Emma.

Hagrid had been right.

Emma was being haunted by her memories. Painful memories Hagrid wished he could take from her. She and many others had suffered because of Voldemort. She was frozen in her spot, ghosts filling her eyes as tears rolled down her furry face.

Hagrid was ever so glad he came up with this idea, otherwise Emma would have probably been removed from Hogwarts before she had the chance to do a single thing.

Curious as he watched the Fox before them, Harry wondered why this creature was crying. He’d never seen an animal cry before. "Hagrid, what's wrong? Wait, is… is she crying?"

Hagrid had no idea what kind of excuse to use, so he used the first things that came to his mind, the truth, "You just remind her of someone, well, a few someone's dear to her. She lost her entire family, blood family of course. But even though she has very close friends that claim her as their family-" 

"She was close to her family before she lost them and there's nothing that can replace that." Harry interrupted. He understood some part of that, only he wished he knew he’d had the chance to meet his parents.

Harry had hit the nail on the head clean and clear as the boy watched her, saw the deep emerald eyes, and for a moment he thought they looked human. He felt he'd seen those eyes before, and the fox also seemed familiar. A toy he used to have maybe before being sent to his Aunt Petunia? No, this fox had moved and played with him, an old pet he and his parents may have had? He wasn't sure, but watching the tears rolling down her furry face and just staring blankly at him made his heart clench. Harry already disliked the sad look on the fox. Not realizing he'd done it until he felt her soft fur against his palm, he held the small fox's face in one hand and wiped away a few of the currently fallen tears smiling softly when he watched her blink back to reality, watched as he saw her body take in a deep breath, her long ears perked up and her long tail began wagging at him.

_Yip!_

He couldn't help the laugh that left him at her yip, "She's cute," Hagrid coughed, trying to hold back his laugh when he watched Emma's tail stop wagging as one of her eyebrows began to slightly twitch while she gave a bit of a look that practically screamed, _"you're kidding me."_

Harry, unsure of what had just happened, moved his hand from her and looked at Hagrid worried, "What did I do?" But Hagrid only helped him realize that he hadn't done anything wrong, just made a funny situation, because Hagrid had indeed failed at holding in his laughter when he began laughing, hard.


	5. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Hagrid had set Emma at the back of the boats to help him keep an eye out of students from there, even though the Giant Squid would put the kid(s) back in their boat if they fell in, but he was happier being safer than sorry, hoping none of them fell into the lake, and thankfully no one did.

This time.

Upon their arrival, Hagrid and fox walked the students up the steps and in front of the Great Halls closed doors, they looked heavy to the students and some had begun wondering if Hagrid would even be strong enough to open them, "Now, I'm gonna go an' find Profess’r McGonagall, she'll tell ya all what to do next. Wish ya all the bes' of luck." He said with an excited wave as he disappeared down the hall.

To everyone's amusement, the snow, and very lightly speckled cinnamon, colored fox had stayed behind to wait with them. Turning herself around to face the students she sat down, as some would say "sitting pretty," with her long tail wrapped around her legs and watched them all closely.

A few girls had gushed over her 'cuteness' and Harry had just silently laughed.

"What's funny Harry?" Ron asked him curiously. Emma had never transformed in front of the kids, so Ron would never have known it was her sitting before them.

Harry pointed towards the Fox and both boys watched as she took in a deep, annoyed, breath and tried not to huff it out as her left eye continued to twitch, "What's wrong with her?" Ron asked, curious as to why the fox looked rather ticked and utterly annoyed.

But there was no chance of him getting an answer when a snobby young boys’ voice piped up as he and two others pushed through the crowd of kids. "So, it's true, then. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy-"

Ron laughed instantly at hearing the blonde boys’ name.

Ron’s snickering had drawn Emma’s attention, and from the scene she was watching, Emma knew exactly where this would lead, but the boys needed to do this themselves. It would do neither of the three any favors in the future if she stepped in as either of their Aunts. As that realization came to her Emma grunted, _'this is going to be a very long seven years...'_ In truth, Draco was indeed a sweet and caring boy, but being with his father, who had been scared of defying the Dark Lord ages ago, had allowed himself to be bullied into that darkness and with it, his family fell with him.

Lucius had always covered up his fear with arrogance and extreme attitude, so Draco had taken after his father by watching and listening to him. Unfortunately, Emma had never known that until she found the poor man crying in his study just six months prior.

The real reason why Emma was so glad Harry was coming to Hogwarts, not only because she was able to finally see him and her stone set determined to get custody of her nephew, but because the Dark Lord was returning. Very soon. And she needed him to be safe. In the time Emma had been in her deep thought, she had missed almost the entire thing, though she got to witness Harry refusing Draco's offer in friendship, and she had to say that the way Draco had not only approached the two boys, but had handled it had resulted in his rejection, and Draco hated being rejected, though she'd have thought he was used to it by now, she always refused him things when he’d demand something. Like sweets, ' _lord that boy is a funny and crazy handful when he was high on sugar.'_

A throat cleared, everyone’s eyes turned and found a stunning, tall, black haired witch standing next to the Fox, "Do control your arrogance, Mr. Malfoy, please." She said. Minerva knew who this boy was already, it was hard to miss a Malfoy in a crowd. Looking down to the snow fox who had cutely began snickering at what Minerva had said the young Malfoy, she grinned at her as she watched Fox place a tiny paw over her nose, looking up to the ceiling like she'd never done a thing, making nearly everyone laugh and awe at her. "Thank you Fox, you may go now. There's a seat for you. We will be in shortly."

And with a final _yip_! Emma, or currently Fox, walked away, "She is so adorable," A girl awed as she smiled after her. 

Minerva’s eyes glanced to the young witch who’d spoken and sighed deeply, better stop this before Emma heard it, she disliked being called adorable, "As much as I'd love to agree with you, Fox has a bit of a deep-seated dislike for being refused to as “cute” and “adorable”. So, for future advice, to all of you really, do try avoiding those two words when speaking to her. She may not look like much, but she has a side no one wishes to see." Minerva said as kindly as she could without trying to frighten the young first year, all well if she did. McGonagall would rather frighten the girl from using the words in front or to Emma then pay the price of it. With that job done, McGonagall went on with explaining the rules the first years then proceeded to walk them through the front doors and into the Great Hall, "Now, form a line!" She called them, nodding as they did as she asked, and the sorting began.

Harry was looking around the Hall for the rest of the Weasley family, and found every last one, as Ron had bragged about with pride on the train ride there, in Gryffindor with everyone clapping as new students were sorted into their house and the rest of the houses doing the same for their new additions.

"Look! That there's my Aunt I was telling you about." Ron said, a happy and prideful smile on his face while he pointed towards the dark red haired, emerald eyed woman who was clapping at the professors table with the rest of the Professors and Hagrid. She was in a deep, royal blue dress, the buttons looked like knots. Harry concluded that meant that the 'dress' was an overcoat and the actual dress was covered by the long-sleeved coat.

Harry's mind went back to the train ride when Ron had mentioned his family to him, **_"She's not really our blood Aunt, but we let mum tell us otherwise. We know mum lied to us about it, we just don't know why. Could have been because she worried that we'd treat Aunt Emma differently. Kids can be mean you know. Anyways, even though we all know Aunt Emma really isn’t blood related to us she's as much family to us as anything. She's amazing. Her full name is Emma Evans,"_** That had caught Harry’s attention, but he had no clue as to what his mum looked like, so Ron's Aunt's last name could really just be a badly placed coincidence.

In truth, Harry was envious of his new friend, wishing he'd known his parents and whoever _'Emma R. Evans'_ was. The name was on an urn that was sitting nicely on the mantelpiece above the fireplace right next to his mother's _'Lily J. Evans'._ When he'd asked his Aunt Petunia why she hadn't had Potter as his mum's last name and why she didn't have his dad's. Petunia had told him she’d lost Lily before she was married and had Harry. That the woman who was his mother was not her sister, then proceeded to scold him for bringing her up and to never speak of that woman again then finally refused to speak of it afterwards. Petunia had even refused to talk about the _Emma R. Evans_ that was sitting next to his mother’s, leaving him even more confused and curious. Harry couldn't help but feel like he'd seen her before, those eyes were the same color as the snow Fox he'd just met as soon as he'd gotten off the train. He'd admit, she was stunning, but she looked familiar, and it bothered him that he couldn't place why. He'd even felt the same kind of familiarity towards her as he had the snow fox. He hadn't paid attention much, his focus was set on Ron's Aunt.

_'Why does she look so familiar?'_ However, his attention was drawn back to reality as soon as Draco had been called, Harry watched in wide eyed shock as the Hat swiftly called out, "Slytherin," and that was the end of it, or was it the start of something? Draco grinned at the rest of the unsorted students and walked off towards the Slytherin table with pride, or what Harry and Ron thought was an invisible stick up his butt.

"Granger, Hermione!" Hermione was slightly panicking, trying to relax herself as she talked herself through it and sat herself on the stole with a tense body, "Gryffindor!"

"Weasley, Ronald!"

Emma grinned as she watched Ron gulp in panic, nodding her head gently at him when he'd looked at her, his fear temporarily subsided, until the Hat was sat on his head and teasing the poor kid, acting as if he would put Ron in a different house, until, "GRYFFINDOR!" Ron took a breath of relief and bounded away from the stole and towards his brothers, now all they had to do was wait for Harry.

"Potter, Harry!" He was timid and fearful, none of the houses the Hat had sang of fit Harry at all, at least that's what he thought. The Hat had gone on telling him he'd do well in Slytherin, but the instant thought of Voldemort, the Wizard Hagrid had told him about who’d murdered his parents had been in Slytherin himself had sent Harry in a bit of a panic and very quietly begged the Hat, “Not, Slytherin, not Slytherin,"

"Not Slytherin, eh? You'd do great you know, no doubt- no? Alright Fine... Gryffindor!" Cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table, while a few other's shoulders slumped but clapped gingerly nonetheless. Harry Potter, the boy who lived, was at Hogwarts, for that they should all be proud of, in their generation they had one of the youngest and most famous young wizards in their school.

Emma smiled wide, glad he was sorted into the same house as his parents had been, her smile turned into a hand covered giggle as Fred and George began shouting, "WE GOT POTTER! WE GOT POTTER!" This was definitely going to be an interesting year. Emma had a feeling that it wasn't even the beginning.

"Mmm-mu-must b-be pro-proud, hm, Mmm-Miss Emma?" Her attention was grabbed by the stuttering Professor Quirrell, who's blushing cheeks made her smile a bit, "Yes, by far, Professor."

_'Emma Evans, so we meet again...'_ A voice spoke with pure rage and contempt in Quirrell's mind, making the Professor’s face slightly fall, _'Still so beautiful as you were the last time we fought, such a shame you're impure.'_

"Emma," Mellena softly interjected as she walked over to the red head and began speaking to her in hushed tones while Snape turned his attention to Quirrell.

Harry had watched the interaction between Ron's Aunt and Quirrell then between the two women speaking while Quirrell's attention had been drawn to a black-haired man, his eyes trailed out across the students, but both found the others' eyes locked for a mere few seconds. Harry’s eyes moved back to Quirrell who looked at him and smiled weakly, but what frightened him was the moment his scar began to burn a little.

Snape caught the painful wince, watching Harry mess with the scar on his forehead. A look of concern was what it was from Snape but his coldness towards others lately had made it look otherwise to Harry.

"Harry, are you alright?" Ron had caught the painful reaction from Harry and was a bit worried something may be wrong. "Nothing, I'm alright... Say, Percy, who's that man talking to Professor Quirrell?"

"Oh, that? That's Professor Snape, Potions Master, but everyone knows it's the Dark Arts he desires, he's been after Quirrell's job for years." Percy said smoothly, worried Snape would hear him, even though the entire room was speaking, Snape was a bit of a frightening man and it left many uncomfortable. But his worries were cleared as Dumbledore stood from his chair, walked to the stand and everyone new, and returning, watched in awe as the golden owl stretched out its wings as Dumbledore began speaking laying down more rules and warnings to the new students and reminding older students of the dangers and restricted areas of the castle then closed his speech with a few playful words and the tables were all filled with food and sweets.

No one went to bed hungry that night. Though, Harry barely got any sleep for the next morning when classes began. His thoughts had continued to turn to a certain witch with dark red hair and deep emerald green eyes that seemed to continue haunting him every time he closed his own eyes. It wasn't out of fascination or fantasy, but because she truly did look familiar. Harry’s stomach had begun to ache and his head to pound with a headache setting in.

"Harry, did you get any sleep at all last night?" Ron asked him at breakfast.

Harry simply shook his head, he was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open, but he had to wake up, classes were starting soon. As soon as he thought that breakfast was over, _'at least I'm awake enough I remembered to eat something,'_ and he and the other first years were off to find their classes.

McGonagall was in the halls with another witch. Her dirty blond hair and bright blue eyes were stunning. The Witch with McGonagall was dressed in a deep red dress and a black, long sleeved, overcoat. The sleeves flared like a butterflies wings when she’d raise a hand, "Mr. Longbottom, that is the girls' lavatory, Potions is that way dear," She smiled kindly to Neville. 

_'She must be a mother, she has the gentle eyes I've always heard mothers having._ ' Harry thought.

He noticed that the black overcoat flowed down with the dress and clasped just three times at her waist, he couldn't see her shoes, but he guested they were either red flats or black boots, he thought that simply because he was under the impression she loved to match things, and he'd be right. Mellena loved to match. To Harry's embarrassment she had caught him and Ron staring at her but simply smiled. "Hello Ron, Mr. Potter, is everything alright?" She asked them. Harry, however, had no idea what to say besides _"I'm sorry I was staring?"_

But it was Ron that saved them, "Hi Aunt Mell, how are the twins?"

"They’re wonderful, your mother was is amazing savior for taking them for a few days for the house to get settled for the family here. I'll always say this, I dread to see where Emma or I would have been had we never met your mum, Ron. She's a saving grace Angel."

Ron blushed at hearing praises for his mum at school, "That's mum, well, uh, Harry and I have to get to class, come one Harry... Oh uh, Aunt Mell?" He asked and waited for her as she directed a few other students and turned her attention back to them, "Transfiguration class?"

"Oh, uh, down that corroded there, turn left, three flights up the stairs and it's the fifth door on the right. Classroom doors are open."

"Thanks Aunt Mell. Come on Harry." Ron smiled gladly to her. Grabbing Harry, Ron rushed off towards the classrooms upstairs.

"How many Aunts do you have Ron?" Harry asked in curiosity.

The red haired Weasley just shrugged, "Mum kind of adopted her into the family ages ago before I was born, I think my other brothers met her before mum said she was family. That was around the same time Aunt Emma got hurt, she was in a coma for three years, poor women lost a lot according to my brother Bill. He still won't fess up as to how he knows everything … I know she lost her sister though. Aunt Mell is Auntie Emma's best friend, so Mum said it was a no brainer to add Mellena into the family. She's married and has two kids, twins actually. Horus and Athella, cute kids, very hyper, but we don't know who Mell is married to, never met the man, I think. She always says we know him, but also says that for now it's a secret she has to hide because of what happened nine or ten years ago. It's sad really, I'd like to meet my uncle, he sounds amazing every time the two talk about him, a talented Wizard apparently, and a wicked dueler." Ron grinned with excitement. Little did Ron know, he was talking about Severus Snape, who happened to be walking behind them.

"Morning boys, you just walked past your class, it's back that way. Move along." He had meant for it to be a bit kinder, however, it had come out slightly sharper and had scared the two nearly senseless.

"Uh, thank you, Professor. Have a nice day, Professor." Ron stammered and pulled Harry back towards the class they'd unwittingly passed by accident.

"He's so intimidating, I don't know how any of the Professors deal with that man, he's scary." Ron said in slight fear as they walked into their first class of the day.

* * *

The day moved on like any other, it had gone smoother than he or Ron had actually thought, though they were slightly getting annoyed with that Granger girl constantly yapping in front of them and raising her hand to answer every question.

"Thank you, Miss Granger, I have no doubt you know the answer, but let's try to let someone else answer the question this time. If no one gets it right in three turns I will without a doubt come back to you. But thank you for your enthusiasm." Mellena was helping McGonagall, she had seen how slightly annoyed Minerva was getting at only having Hermione answering the questions, so she took the situation into her own hands. Hermione reminded her of her own daughter, full of enthusiasm and energy, Athella loved to read, she'd read just about anything.

The day continued just like that, every time the boys would walk into a new classroom, they'd find the Granger girl sitting next to them, in front of them, or behind them. It was like the girl was stalking them. Even though they knew better, they couldn't help but poke a bit of fun at her, thankfully without her notice, or if she did, then she let it be and ignored their rudeness.

Potions had been a sinking ship for Harry. 

Snape was not the friendliest at all, even snapped at Hermione. "Put your hand down, you silly girl!" Then proceeded to inform Harry the answers while glaring at him, "Well... Why aren't you all writing this down." He snapped around to everyone. It was not a question, least of all a suggestion. Everyone had rushed to write down what he'd informed Harry not moments ago.

But it was the snow-white, cinnamon colored fox that sat on Snape's desk glaring at him, "Don't give me that look, Fox." Snape snapped lightly at her, everyone had to hold back their snickers as she continued to glare heatedly at the Potions Master. **_‘That, Severus Snape, was duly unnecessary.’_**

**_“Do not start with me today, Emma.”_** Severus responded to her via thoughts, her Leginimsy was stronger than he’d remembered, though he was happy she never tried to infiltrate his thoughts forcefully, it was always a tingling sensation, like knocking on a door asking permission.


	6. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Classes were going well this year, so far, Madam Hooch had Emma helping her with the Broom class. It had been interesting, poor Neville got hurt, then Seamus.

Emma hated the idea of leaving them by themselves, "If Madam Hooch or myself find any one of your Brooms off the ground you'll be out of Hogwarts before any of you can utter the Word Quidditch!" She had specifically looked at a few students as she made the comment because a few of them she knew. Harry was his father's son, and she had a feeling that the moment she left something was going to happen, she knew she was not going to like this. And that situation came in the form of none other, Draco Malfoy.

* * *

"He did what!"

"Emma! Please, calm yourself, he's not in trouble, in fact I sent him with Oliver Wood." Minerva said calmly, trying to finish her paperwork.

Draco had caused not only a scene, but had caused a big problem, they just got their brooms that day, those two were madder than the blasted mad hatter if they thought they were going to get away from just being put on the Quidditch team and a tiny smack on the wrist. For that, Emma would make sure of.

Seeing a glance of the woman’s irritated look of pure determination, Minerva sighed as she continued writing her notes and grading assignments, "Emma, don't think about-" but Minerva found her office empty. Blinking from astonishment, Minerva looked around for the woman, she had in fact simply walked out, "Emma! Oh, just wonderful..." Minerva huffed and began her search for the infuriated Aunt. Unfortunately, Minerva wouldn't be so lucky in finding her this time.

Emma was not in Hogwarts.

"Mellena, I need your assistance with something."

"Yes, my darling best friend, how may I help you?"

"Drink this, put my dress on while I change... Harry and Draco are receiving a dentition and Draco is also getting a good scolding from his darling Auntie Mira." Emma explained.

Mellena was taken for a spin of confusion, "Whoa! Wait, wh-what?"

Emma then proceeded to explain what had happened, "They got away with a smack on the wrist and a place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Seeker, they aren't getting off that easily."

"O-oh... um, alright, one moment... Here, I believe I still have the dress you let me borrow for dinner a few weeks ago, ah, yes, here it is." The dress was a dark green, falling just below her knees with a bit of a train on the back and a black overcoat to go with it that buttoned just below her chest and down to her waist. It hugged the wearer nicely. Mellena smiled and handed Emma her three-inch, black knee-high boots to match it perfectly.

"Thank you," and the two proceed in changing. Emma had written herself a message from 'Professor Fox' and signed it. 

Uncertain of this action, Mellena watched her sign the note as ‘proof’ to Draco, "Emma, are you sure this is alright to be doing this?"

"Narcissa has Mira as Draco's Godmother and legal Aunt and Guardian, if anything were to happen to her and Lucius. I can't scold him as Emma, no matter how much I wish I could, blood they may not be, but those boys are technically family. Trust me, Sissy loves her son without a doubt, obviously, but if she hears I've scolded him, Emma or Mira, she knows it's for a reason. It's not going to destroy the poor boy. I'm just giving the two a dentition because they did exactly what they were not to do, and Draco was the one that lit the situation. Therefore, detention should make them even, and teach them a lesson... Hopefully." Emma continued to explain.

Mellena couldn't help but laugh, "Rose, Harry is _James's_ _son_ and Draco is _Lucius's son_ , a detention is not going to settle this. If anything, it could make it worse. But I agree with you, they did exactly what they were not supposed to, so they'll get their detention. But they serve it with me, that house still isn't done, all that needs finished is the paint, so I'll use the detention as a bit of a personal thing, the kids are still with Molly, so I don't have them to help me, and Severus is so exhausted. Don't ask me why because I really have no idea, but I'm getting worried, he doesn't come home like he usually does and now he's keeping secrets… Again." Mellena explained, she was definitely worried for her husband. She loved him, but he worried her all the time. His past she feared the most. 

However, Emma had a feeling she knew exactly why he was acting strange, but she'd explain it to her later. "Alright, come on."

And they were off, sadly, they had found the two bickering at one another again, "Mr. Potter! Mr. Malfoy! That. Is. Enough." Mellena said sternly, she's always loved the idea of playing Emma's role, but this was different, she’d never actually taken Emma’s place entirely, but as a mother she felt a bit bad she had the two shaking in their coats a little as she glared, _'This is going to be harder than I thought,'_ her kids had softened her a bit. Though, she felt worse for Draco when his grin faltered and paled slightly at realizing his loving Aunt Mira looked anything but happy, "Au-aunt Mira? What are you doing here?"

"I was sent an owl, stating you and Mr. Potter engaged in a flying fight **AND** that **you** started it by taking another student's belonging he'd dropped after being injured... Is this true, Draco." 

_'That's not a question, why does she always do that! Why didn't they just send it to mum and dad! Why her?! I'm dead!'_ Draco gulped as he thought his thoughts, there was no point in lying to her, she always knew when he was lying. "Y-yes, Aunt Mira."

Mellena took a breath, "Mr. Malfoy, for not only starting a fight, but also disobeying my warning, you are to serve detention and you're serving it with Professor Blue, Mr. Potter, as brave as your actions were you too disobeyed my warning to not fly while without the supervision of one of the Professors of the class. You will both be serving the detention together. Five points are being removed from both houses for your actions. Detention starts Saturday morning."

Draco's jaw dropped and stared at Professor Fox in shock then to his Aunt, "What! This is ridiculous! Aunt Mira?"

"No, Draco and don't think your mother won't hear of this Mr."

"But-" he was stopped upon ‘Mira’ put her hand up in front of him, a sign he knew it was time to stop talking, and he did.

"No but's, Draco. Now, I expect to hear that you served your detention and you've caused no more trouble. Same to you Mr. Potter, as brave and honorable as your actions were against my nephew, which mind you he deserved, I'm sorry you too must suffer for this, I'll be looking forward to hearing both of your first years were a success. Good Day. Oh, and Draco, your mother sent some sweets with me to give to you, there already in your common room waiting for you." She said with a soft look, he was upset, understandably so, but Emma was going to teach him it is better to be a good sport when rejected for something instead of a bully.

Emma and Mellena watched the two sighed and bowed their heads in defeat, "Oh and Mr. Potter, congratulations on making the team," she smiled to both boys. Draco was stunned, his Aunt went from scolding them, him, then congratulating Potter! "Draco," He was even more shocked when his Aunt was suddenly in front of him and kissed his forehead, "You know I love you. You're my nephew and Godson, I only scold you so you can learn from a mistake and not do it again, to grow to be a better person." Her loving words instantly subsided his anger.

Draco smiled at her, "Love you too, Aunt Mira."

"Good day boys,"

"Professor Blue will be informed of the detentions, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy." and with that both **'Mira'** and **'Professor Fox'** walked off together and began conversing.

"She's your Aunt?" Harry asked a bit bewildered.

"Yep, that's my Aunt... She was actually in Gryffindor herself... But don't let the complement go to your head, Potter." Draco had no idea why he'd let that bit of information slip, but he slightly grinned when he saw how shocked Harry was when he'd said it.

**Saturday-Detention**

The boys had helped Mellena paint the house walls and had shockingly enjoyed themselves, "If that's every detention I don't think I'll mind it, that was kind of fun. Professor Blue is a nice teacher, I don't see why Professor Fox said we'd have our detention with a fun teacher." Draco laughed, he and Harry had not had an argument, yet. Though, they may not have been friends but the extreme tension between the two had dissolved by a lot, unfortunately they both knew it wasn't going to last for long.

Harry enjoyed not having an enemy just for a while longer and agreed with Draco, "Right...Hey, Draco, did you see the picture of her kids? They looked almost like her-" 

"Except her daughter likely has her father’s dark hair, the boy, now that’s a bit different. Her daughter gets the dark hair of the father while their son gets the blondish hair of their mother." Draco said, finishing Harry's sentence before either of them had realized it. Yet, both shrugged it off as if it were nothing.

"You know this little peace we have going won't last for long when we get back to school, Potter?" Draco softly snapped. Even though he too had liked the peace between them, Draco couldn’t let himself get soft, least of all be caught off guard.

Taking a calm sigh, Harry nodded. "I know, but for now I'm just enjoying the time of not having any enemies." Harry said with a smile, and Draco had silently agreed.

He had in fact really wanted a friend in Harry Potter. Draco had heard rumors of a cousin on his mother's side years ago that had been able to get away from a poisonous family, even though his family, mother and father, were not poisonous to him, Draco still feared the worst was on its way and it was heading right for his family, the Malfoy’s. Draco remembered hearing that this cousin had found refuge in a certain Potter family member, who happened to be in the same house as Harry. 

Gryffindor. 

Just like Draco’s Aunt Mira. Yet, in the end he’d betrayed that friendship and helped the Dark Lord murder the Potters. Draco’s family had assisted in taking away a child's parents, his mother most of all. He'd even heard rumors that Harry's Aunt was murdered herself, killed trying to save Harry and his mother. The Dark Lord had been vanquished in the process. A different rumor was that she had survived and refused Harry's guardianship, that Harry had been sent off somewhere she couldn't get to him only to have slowly gone mad. Draco couldn’t help but feel like he’d been a part of the family’s destruction. "I know it may not matter now that this has been years ago and over with, but I'm sorry about your parents and Aunt. I don't know what I'd do if I'd lost mine that way." Draco had been fully sincere about his condolences, but he was confused when Harry stopped in his steps on their way past Hagrid's.

Harry was about to thank the Malfoy boy for his condolences but had stopped in full confusion when he’d caught the part about an Aunt, "What are you talking about? I only have one Aunt and that's the woman who I dread going back to when school is done." Harry admitted.

Draco was stunned. Harry didn't know about Emma Evans. The famous Marauder's Fox.

"Harry, I hate to tell you, but you have **two** Aunts. My Mum and Aunt Mira knew her while they were here at Hogwarts. I've overheard rumors of her and the night your parents were killed." He couldn't believe he was telling Harry this, if anyone should have been telling Potter, it should have been his friends, then again, he was the one whom brought it up, meaning it was now his responsibility, causing Draco to nearly growl with annoyance when Harry continued looking at him like he had five heads.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, follow me, Potter!" with it all said and set, Draco walked Harry to the trophy room through hidden passageways only Slytherin’s had access to and showed him a different set of Quidditch team member gold name plates Hermione had shown him previously, only those name plates had been Gryffindor's finest that had ever played in Quidditch. These were the names of all of the Gryffindor players throughout the years. 

Emma may have been on the team and tried her best, but she hadn't really won many games like James had. Therefore, Emma was not in the display shelf up stares for everyone to see like his father was.

Pointing to the nameplate of _Emma R. Evans,_ Draco sighed with small annoyance, "See, right there, your father was Chaser, your Aunt, Emma, was the Seeker. Your mum's name was Lily, right? Lily Evans? Well, she had a little sister named Emma..." Draco explained.

"How-how do you know this, Draco?" Harry asked, his tone was soft and in utter disbelief. He had a second Aunt? One that was most likely dead, likely killed trying to save him and his mum.

"I hear a lot at home, my mum and Aunt knew them, mostly your parents. Aunt Mira went to school with them but was, according to her, rather close with your Aunt, adored her from what I had heard. I put two and two together and found the rest out myself. Emma Evans is Lily’s little sister. I might be a kid, but I'm not stupid." Draco laughed a bit arrogantly at the end, indeed, Draco Malfoy, was anything but stupid. He had ears and eyes, like any child, and he loved using them because then he was able to get almost any kind of information he wanted to hear.

"How is it no one else knows about this?" Harry asked suddenly as he studied the gold name plates, his eyes glided over his dads, Emma's then that of a name, Sirius Black. His curiosity had again gotten the better of him and pointed to the name, "Who's that?"

"No one special. A distant relative of my mum's." And Draco left it at that, Harry could tell that by his reaction he was embarrassed by the owner of the name, leading Harry to believe that something must have happened to this Sirius person that left a bad taste in the Malfoy family's mouth, "Did your Aunt know him?"

Draco cleared his throat, clearly still a bit embarrassed they were on the topic, "Yeah, she loved him. A lot according to mum, but mum asked me to not ask or talk about him to Aunt Mira. She always looks sad when he's brought up and I hate when my mum and Aunt are sad." Draco admitted sadly, and both boys realized then that they had shared a moment regarding family, "Well, we're back to the school, see you around, Potter."

"Uh, ye-yeah, sure thing..."

* * *

Weeks were going by quickly, the two boys hadn't spoken since then, there was no point in being rude or snide, but they had their moments where their ego's involving their house brought out the competitive nature in them. Harry had talked to Ron about what happened between him and Draco and Ron had been shocked, "Harry... I told you my Aunt's name, right?"

"I think so yeah, Emma, but it's probably a coincidence-" 

"No, Harry, Emma's name **is** Emma Evans, she **had** a sister, an older sister that was killed back in 1981... You would have been, what, a year old then when her sister was killed, when your parents were killed. Right?"

"Yeah? Ron, where are you going with this?" Harry's heart was pounding, if Professor Fox was truly **the** Emma Evans, his mother's sister, and this was not a coincidence, that meant that he had family left in the world besides the Dursley's. If Ron was right about the Weasley’s Aunt, and she'd been in a coma for three years and if she was Harrys’ Aunt, why hadn't she come for him? He felt anger towards her for a moment until his mind went back to what Draco had said about her, the rumors Draco said he'd heard, but what they were, Harry didn't remember, "Ron, do you know anything about Emma Evans, my mum's little sister?"

"Harry! Professor Fox is not my blood aunt. Her name **is** Emma **_Rose Evans_**!" Ron said slowly and emphasized her first, middle and last name for Harry to understand and waited as Professor Fox's name fully sank into his mind. Ron watched Harry's mouth half hanging open and eyes wide as if witnessing a terrible scene.

"I have an Aunt that's a witch? But-but why wouldn't she come for me?" His mind was so confused, trying to remember Ron telling him she had been in a coma for a couple years, but nothing was working, three years in a coma he'd have been four when she woke up, she had time to come for him, right? Did she not want him then?

"Harry? Harry are you all right?"

"I-I have an Aunt, a _Witch_ Aunt?"

"Uh, Harry, don't push yourself mate, I'm only saying it's a very big possibility... Maybe we should go talk to her, it's not yet curfew, we still have time... Co-come on." Ron was worried, his best friend was so shocked he may have a family member he not only never heard of or knew about one who was alive, and a Witch. Ron was thinking to himself as they walked towards Professor Fox's small office, why she never went to get him if she had the means to do so? Or did she not have the chance to? Was she not allowed to have Harry? If that was the reason, then why couldn't she have him?

Their questions would soon be answered, when they walked into Emma's office, however, they found Emma talking with an old friend of hers, two scars running across his face and looking sickly pale, and slightly rugged, like he was sick and had been mugged or something was what Ron and Harry would describe his looks at the moment, he didn't look good at all.

"Auntie Emma, I think we have a problem," Ron choked out.

Harry hadn't said a word as Ron helped him walk into the office looking rather bewildered and ghost like.

Emma, seeing both boys worry and a look of wonder and full of nothing but hope in Harry's green eyes, "Harry? Ron, what's the matter?" She asked with concern.

Harry's words flew from his mouth before he could stop them, he couldn't help it as tears blurred his vision as he actually really looked at her and wondered if his mum looked like her and if so, his mum must have been a beauty, "A-ar-are you my Aunt?"


	7. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Emma froze, utterly stunned and caught very far-off guard, but she wasn't going to lie to him, "... Yes,"

"Why didn-Why didn't you come for me when I was at the Dursleys!" The other two in the room watched the two interact, both light green and deep emerald eyes spilling with tears.

Remus saw Emma struggling to answer her nephew, he knew her too well to know she'd be unable to answer him for the moment. So, he spoke up, answering for her, "Because Harry, she was refused custody for eight years. The Ministry still doesn't want her to have custody of you." Remus explained to the boys, but there was more to tell.

Emma was finally able to find her voice, "Harry, wh-when everything happened, the attack, I went into a coma. But when I woke up, I found that they had put you in the permanent care of Petunia, to my greatest horror. I sent word to Petunia, soon after I was rejected by the Minister himself. Custody should have been granted to me the moment they had proof that I was stable enough to care for you since your parents had me legally down in their _Will_ to care for you if anything happened to them. But with me in a coma for so long, they had to put you in a home that was not only family but somewhere safe from Magic for the time. Dumbledore had only taken you to Petunia because no one would have thought to look there. It was a good idea, at the time. After I sent word to her, Petunia likely responded but the Ministry must have intervened. They came directly to Dumbledore and myself and gave a sorry excuse for a reason, if it was ever a reason at all." She explained with great nervous. 

Seeing she was having trouble, Remus sighed softly, "She's been trying to get custody of you for eight years Harry-" Remus tried speaking, but Harry’s sudden interruption of his next quick question had then both stopping in thoughts.

"Did mum look like you? Or you look like her?" Harry had interrupted Remus, he had to know he had to have some kind of idea what his mum looked like. 

Emma shook her head, a small blush and light laughter at the idea. "No-" 

"Kind of, your mum had lighter red hair and lighter green eyes, not hazel, but actually green eyes while- wait, I have a picture in my bag I believe, one moment," Remus stated and began rummaging through his small bag. Pulling out an album of photos, "Here we are." Remus said softly as he turned back to Harry giving the dear boy a sad smile as he handed an album to him.

Remus hadn't looked at that photo album in years, it always hurt when he’d look at the cover, but he always carried it with him, a chance to journey into his past to happier times when they were always able to smile and horse around.

They watched Harry take the large, red leather-bound album as he and Ron sat at a two chaired desk and began looking through the pictures. They found several pictures of Remus, James, Sirius and Peter through their first four years then the picture of Remus and Emma asleep on the train her first year. One of Emma being danced around the common room by Sirius and James with others clapping and laughing and smiling. Lily was captured on the sofa smiling happily as she watched, and the picture would start all over again.

As they continued flipping the pages, the two boys smiled bigger and bigger at all the fun they were having through the moving pictures, a few were Emma and Sirius, and her with the Marauder boys. Under one of the photos of the five of them read, **_"The Marauder's and Fox; Remus, James, Sirius, Peter & Emma" 1976 Nov._**

The picture had Emma hoisted up on the backs of both James and Sirius, everyone smiling and laughing then surprised as Lily and two others rushed into the side of the picture tackling Emma off Sirius and James knocking over the whole group.

Harry turned the next page, his smile softened. 

It was a picture of Emma on the Gryffindor common room sofa in front of their fireplace with Lily on the other end, both sisters were asleep, and both had an open book resting on their stomachs as they rested. Harry smiled and looked at Emma, "You two do kind of look like each other," He said, wiping the tears from his face as he looked from his Aunt then looked back to the picture, a sad smile on his face.

Emma had no idea what to do, but it was Harry that dashed from the desk and wrapped his arms around Emma's waist and began crying into her. Wrapping her arms around her nephew, Emma held him tight.

"Emma, I hate to break up this reunion, but it's almost curfew and I really don't think the boys want to be found out and about at this hour." Remus said with a sigh. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact Harry looked almost exactly like James. It was then he wished he'd stayed closer to Emma over the years, but it was too late for wishing things. All that mattered now was that Emma had Harry in her arms.

* * *

**Halloween**

Classes flew by fast, Hermione was constantly trying to get the two boys to quit running off into the night, and it hadn't helped that during their charm class when Ron had been pared with Hermione, that she showed him how to properly do the Levitation spell that he'd made probably the worst, yet best, mistake of his life as he and the others left class.

"It's Levi-O-sa! She's a nightmare, no wonder she doesn't have any friends!" Ron poked with annoyed laughter.

And just as fast as he’d said the words, Ron’s shoulder had been purposely, and roughly, bumped into as Hermione rushed off.

Harry had seen her face streaming with tears and his laughter stopped instantly, "I-I think she heard you."

"So," Ron said, obviously uncomfortable as the group of boys watched her rush off, he too had seen her tearful face and he had to admit, he hated himself. He hated himself more when she hadn't shown up for the next class, even that of the last few classes of the day. He and Harry had both hoped she'd show for Dinner.

Hermione hadn't shown, to both boy’s dismay.

This was when they began panicking and started asking around and down the table.

Neville had come back to them, worry full on his face, "Parvati Patil said she's been in the girls' bathroom all afternoon crying."

Both boy's jaws dropped in worry, but at least she was still in the castle, though they still felt terribly they'd made her cry, "What?"

"She wants to be left alone, so don't go lookin’ for her...P-please?" Neville instantly shrank. He wasn't the bravest and had a bad habit of not standing up for himself. His Grandmother had always said he needed to grow a backbone, but Emma had calmed his fears of that by telling him to not worry too much but to **try** to stand up for himself. **_“Because standing up for yourself was better than laying there and letting something happen to you, or worse, to someone else.”_** But he'd still have to work on it because he was a very shy boy and a very easy target.

"Don't worry Neville, we don't have any intentions of going into the girls' bathrooms, ever." Ron sighed with a shrug, he felt like dirt and so did Harry.

Harry hated being bullied himself when he was at school, anywhere for that matter, he'd been bullied the whole ten years of his life but that was how he grew his backbone, because he was tired of it. So, why had he allowed himself to become a verbal bully, but a bully, nonetheless?

They had all begun to get distracted after a while with the Halloween decorations, bats flying everywhere, flouting pumpkins, and other things around the tables with the food.

However, their excitement hadn't lasted long when Professor Quirrell burst through the Great Hall Doors screaming, "TROLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!" then fainted.

The sudden scene sent mass panic through the students as they all jumped from their seats screaming and running around trying to figure out what to do while the Prefects attempted to calm their houses.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore shouted. 

The Great Hall went silent instantly, everyone froze in their strides as they all looked to him. Fear showing on their faces. "Calm down! Thank you. Now, Prefects shall escort their students back to their houses. Professors shall follow me to the Dungeons." Dumbledore clarified, releasing the Prefects to do their designated jobs as they led their students back to their house Common room as instructed, it wasn't until the Gryffindor's were heading down the corridors back to the Common room that Harry remembered Hermione had no clue what was going on, and was likely still in the bathroom or walking around trying to figure out what happened at Dinner because the Great Hall was now empty. Either way, she was still in danger, this made him panic as he pulled Ron to a sudden stop and off to a corner away from the students. 

Confused as ever, Ron looked at Harry with hi confusion and terrified they’d be left behind, "What is it?" Ron asked. They were already far enough off the tracks to their common room as instructed for their safety, they’d not only likely get into bigger trouble than they already were for slipping off, but they could be killed too.

"Ron… Hermione! She doesn't know about the Troll!" Harry explained with fear running through him.

Ron paled instantly, "Well, whe-where are we gonna find her, there's hundreds of bathrooms here, we could run to the wrong one or find the Troll and get ourselves killed!"

"Ron, we have to try, we're the cause of her not being here in the first place!" Harry ranted. They were the reason she wasn’t with them as they fled to safety. She could get killed.

"Oh alright, come on, I think I may know which one she may be at, but no promises." Ron huffed. No matter how much he shook in his shoes he knew Harry was right. They had to at least try to find Hermione.

The two dashed off down the corridors looking for Hermione in a frenzy, they just happened to get the bad end of the stick when they spotted a Troll going into a girls' bathroom, "Uh-oh."

"Come on," Harry pulled out his wand and grabbed Ron's cloak and pulled him behind him as they ran into the bathroom.

They were glad to find Hermione still alive, but the poor girl was backed against a stall, looking up at the Troll frozen in fear. "Hermione, move!" The boys were beyond glad that she had and moved herself into a stall, crawling to get out as the Troll swung in all directions at them.

Out of fear and instinct, Hermione screamed, "Help!"

"Hey!"

"Over here!"

The boys screamed, throwing whatever kind of derby they could get a hold of, "Uh-oh," ducking, they took a short-relieved breath after the Troll missed them with its club by mere inches, the three students maneuvered around trying to get out of the bathroom alive.

* * *

Snape pulled Emma off to the side after everyone passed by them, he didn’t need any more involved in this disaster. "Someone's after the Stone, come on, I may need help." 

Sadly, that hadn't gone as well as either one had hoped.

"Why didn't you grab your wife, Severus." She asked sarcastically, she didn't care he'd drug her off from the other teachers, she just wanted to lighten up her mood because of her worry. Emma couldn't help the smile that grew on her face when Severus gave her a halfhearted grin, but it was his answer that really made her smile, "Because she's my wife and you're my best friend, I'd rather have you or her at my back rather than anyone -" Emma held back a scream as Fluffy suddenly came out of nowhere and bit down onto Severus’s leg. The sudden event and pain that overtook his legs had Snape screaming out in fear and pain.

Emma reacted as she always would and grabbed a hold of him, raised her wand and cast a spell at one of the three headed dog’s noses’.

Fluffy yelped a bit and instantly released Snape's leg, "Come on, we need to get that look-" 

"Professors! Gryffindor is missing three first years!" Mr. Filch shouted to them in panic. How he’d found them they would never know. Unless he had the map, which was a possibility in Emma’s mind, but Emma and Severus had an idea of who they were. 

Groaning with small annoyance, Severus looked to Emma, "Granger wasn't at Dinner, do you think-” 

Emma sighed with slight irritation, her eyes wide with realization and irritation, “Oh yes I think it... Ron and Harry must have gone after her. He's James's son alright, and Ron is Molly's and Arthur’s son, of course those two went after her. Come on. We'll look at that when we find the kids." The two made the decision to split up. Snape would go for the kids and Emma would go for the rest of the Professors, who were thankfully already on their way to the girls' bathroom. They arrived in time to find the three students perfectly fine, a little rattled but very much alive. They had arrived before the other Professors, Snape rushing in first. 

Everything went downhill from there.

Harry had seen the bite and blood rolling down Snape's leg, leading the boy to assume many questions and a viscous curiosity.

Snape, realizing his injury was visible, covered it immediately. His thoughts were along the line of ‘a student doesn't need to see that,’ and ‘If they report it I'll be out of the classroom for days’. He and his students could not afford that kind of lost time, and he would be damned if he'd let an imbecile teach his class. However, that was the farthest thing from Harry's mind. 

_'What could have caused that? The dog covering the trap door? If so, what is the dog guarding and why was Snape there?'_

"Harry, Ron - Oh, Hermione, are you three alright!" Emma fussed over the three, hugging the two boys tightly and checking Hermione for any injuries.

Upon Minerva’s arrival, Hermione made an excuse as to why the three of them were not safely in the common room with the others. Emma had a hard time believing that story though, especially from the way the two boy's eyes widened from complete shock.

"Five points will be taken from Gryffindor... As for you two gentlemen. Five points shall be rewarded to each of you, for sheer dumb luck." Minerva huffed with relief and stormed out with the rest of the teachers on her heels, minus Snape, Quirrell and Emma, "O-o-ought t-to go, m-m-might wake up." Quirrell said a bit jumpy and the kids stormed out in a hurry, worried the Troll would truly wake up.

Emma and Snape watched Quirrell a bit closely as he jumped as soon as the Troll roared in its sleep and rushed out. But they both saw something, a slight look of annoyance on his face, and something deep inside his eyes. The two of them looked at one another curiously. 

"What was that?" Emma asked a bit concerned, her eyes returning to her the retreating teacher of the Defense against the Dark Arts. She still had no idea how he got the job when he was just a jumpy little rabbit that got spooked at anything and anyone that came around the next corner, the guy was paranoid!

Snape watched him with her, curious himself, "I have no idea..."

"Time to look at the leg, Sev-" 

"I have it handled, I'm fine… Emma I'm fine, see your nephews back to their common room and go to bed."

Severus had given her his stern look and she knew there was no point in arguing with him. Sighing, she kissed his cheek like she always had, and said their good nights, "Give the family my love, will you?"

"Of course," and with that, they parted ways.

* * *

Quidditch was starting soon and the first game of the year was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. Everyone was excited, Harry was constantly asking Emma questions when she went on the field with the team to watch them practice and she had always told him, "Ask Mr. Wood, he's your captain," Harry would grin and always toss back at her, "But you were seeker too, just like me... Any tips?"

Oliver grinned, knowing exactly what she'd say, because he had once done the same to her, "Don't fall off your broom, it's never pretty."

"Have you ever fallen off your broom?"

"Yes, actually, my broom got side blinded by a Bludger and it knocked me off the broom. My broom was destroyed. I had to get a new one just to finish the game. Unfortunately, the Slytherin Seeker, Thomas Grey, wasn't so lucky. Poor kid took the brunt of the first one that came at us then I got knocked out of the sky after I got him into the stands with the Professors and Poppy."

Everyone was shocked wide eyed, "Why'd ya help 'im? He was a Slytherin!?" one of the players asked, they seemed to be a bit offended she'd helped the kid.

Fred and George piped up in her defense, offended themselves since their friend and teammate had just questioned their dearest Aunts honor in Quidditch, "Because, she's a good team player!" Fred called out. George started where his twin left off, both moved back and forth in their little speech, "Yeah, how'd you feel if a Bludger took you out and the only one next to you was the opposite teams player and refused to catch you once you've been hit head on by one of those things?" Fred scolded.

Nodding along with his twin George huffed, "Yeah, the boy broke a lot after that, he was lucky he got to play. Had she not helped him, he'd have either been dead," 

"Or never walked again! Let alone play Quidditch!" The twins' faces were near red hot with anger.

Emma had to bite her lip to keep from grinning at the twins, she wasn't offended at all, simply because she knew that as the years had gone on after the War, the houses had been separated by anger and turmoil. No one any longer cared to befriend a Slytherin after what happened years ago in the first war. But everyone seemed to have forgotten that it wasn't just Slytherin's that were involved with Voldemort, there were a few of every house and every magical species.

Emma shivered when a thought of Peter Pettigrew came to mind. She had no idea why she felt the anger boil up in her when she thought of him, he'd done nothing, that she could remember. She'd have to talk to Severus or Mellena later. Though, maybe she’d talk to Remus instead, he had known Peter much better than any of them currently alive. She always felt terrible for not spending as much time with him if she wasn’t with the boys, he was just as much a part of their friend group as any of them, but he seemed to have up and vanished every so often as a few of the last years moved forwards faster than she’d like to remember. 

Returning herself back to reality, Emma sighed sadly at the memories, "Come on, back to practice. McGonagall, Blue and I want to see you guys wiping the dirt with Slytherin, Severus is getting to high and mighty with his team." Emma grinned playfully. She adored Severus, but it was true, he’d been getting a bit high with the winning streak of Slytherin lately over the years, and it had begun to wear Emma a bit thin as of late.

"Whose Professor Blue married too, Aunt Emma?" Harry asked out of the blue.

Emma was dumb struck, that had come out of nowhere from Harry, _'Whoa, wait, what!'_

"Pardon? Who says she's married?" Emma joked. But maybe she shouldn't joke about that stuff, she knew Mell and Sev were keeping things quiet about their marriage for the time being, so she didn't know how to answer that, "Ask her yourself if you're so curious." Emma held back a laugh when she saw his confusion, but she saw herself in his eyes that moment, it looked like he must have gotten his infuriating curiosity from her side of the family, because he too had the burning curiosity a cat wouldn't be envious of, just like her.

_‘Great. Curiosity killed the cat, just remember that Harry._ ’ Emma thought a bit too dryly to herself. Though maybe she shouldn’t be so sarcastic in that situation simply because her curiosity had in fact almost gotten her killed. _‘Okay… So, maybe curiosity killed the Fox on my end.’_

Emma knew then she would have her hands full, but she looked forward to it. "I'm afraid I can't answer that, even if I wanted to, it's not my place Harry." She smiled as she watched him sigh in defeat. For now, she had settled it, but it would come back and bite him in the butt ten times harder when he's either told or figures it out. Unfortunately, Emma had no idea Harry, Ron and Hermione were trying to figure out what was under the trap door Fluffy was guarding.

**Quidditch Game**

Emma sat in the stands with the Professors, Mellena had the kids with her. The teachers were the only ones who knew about Snape, Mellena and the kids. Unfortunately, that also meant that Voldemort knew, they just hadn't figured it out yet.

They cheered for their house teams, Slytherin or Gryffindor. The game was going great, until Oliver Wood was knocked out by the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, who'd hit a Bludger at him, grinned wickedly and continued the game.

"Oliver!" Mellena and Minerva quickly grabbed a hold of Emma's arms putting her butt back in the seat, "Emma, no. Sit, let Madam Hooch and Poppy go get him. He'll be fine. See, they have him on the stretcher and off the field." 

They were right, she was not a team member anymore, she was a teacher, kind of, a teacher's replacement and aide along with being a part of security around the castle grounds.

Emma cheered the loudest with the kids and Mellena. Harry had found the snitch and took off after it but when his broom began acting up, she feared the worst. Emma took a breath and began to focus, grabbed Mellena's hand and channeled both their magic into stopping whoever was attacking his broom. Thankfully with both hers' and Mellena's help, Snape had been able to get the broom to stop faster than he thought and very grateful the kid hadn't fallen from the broom.

"Fire! You're on fire!" A man shouted with fright. 

Everyone's attention was ripped from Harry as Snape began stomping on his cape, others knocking each other over, Professor Quirrell being one of the few that was knocked from his seat as everyone scattered away from Severus's burning robe.

" _Aguamenti_!"

"Thank you," Snape said wide eyed and thankful at his wife, they all sighed with relief as Harry swung back up onto his broom and went back to chasing the Snitch. He'd ended up falling off the broom and nearly swallowed the Snitch in the process when he caught it. 

"GRYFFINDOR WINS!" Madam Hooch shouted as she blew the whistle. Cheers erupted everywhere, Snape had smiled for a split second before he frowned, realizing Slytherin had lost.

**-A few days later-**

"That's Hogwash! Professor Snape is one of the Teacher's protectin' the Stone- I shouldn't have said that..." Hagrid huffed a bit disappointed in the three kids walking with him. But his mouth had ran a bit too much. But it was too late to take it back the moment their heads turned to him in wonder and confusion. But it was Hermione who spoke up with more questions, "One of the teachers?"

_'I think I need ta talk with Dumbledore,'_

"Then why did he jinx my broom?"

With a tired sigh Hagrid continued moving for his little cottage, hoping they’d just stop asking questions, "Professor Snape would **never** endanger a studen'. You three are meddlin' in things you aren't to be! Particularly you Harry- Hey, where are ya goin'! hey! oh, bother."

They'd gone out that night in search for anything. Unfortunately, they had crossed paths with Draco Malfoy, "Malfoy, what are you doing out at this hour?" Ron asked in shock at the boy, he looked a bit put out, like he'd found out some bothersome news.

Harry noticed a letter in his hand, probably sent a later message out after curfew.

Already tired and upset, Draco snapped to the three of them, it wasn’t their business in the first place! "None of your business, Weasley. Though, I could ask you three the same thing, but not tonight, I'm not in the mood." Though the second he’d spoken the four had been found by none other than Professor McGonagall. She walked around the corner and cleared her throat with clear annoyance and disappointment, "My office... Now. The four of you."

**-McGonagall’s Office-**

"Nothing, I repeat, nothing, gives a student the right to be out of bed or common room, after curfew at this hour!" She snapped, taking a breath to calm her irritation, three of her own house and one of Severus's house, had been found out of bed at 11:25 pm by none other than McGonagall who'd been leaving the bathing room, she'd wanted a bath to relax herself from all the grading she'd been doing. "50 points will be taken from you,"

"50!?" Harry shouted in shock, Hermione and Ron's eyes had widened and both elbowed the boy. 

"Each," McGonagall said, a stern glare set of her face, "As a result the four of you shall receive dentition."

"Excuse me, Professor, I think I heard you wrong, I thought I heard you say the four of us?" Draco asked in shock, even though he too had been out after hours he wouldn't have been caught had he not ran into those three. First the letter, now this! He was in an outrage.

"Mr. Malfoy, you too, were found out of bed after hours. Therefore, you shall be joining your classmates in detention. Now, off to bed. By the way, Mr. Malfoy. Why were you out after hours?" She was the teacher after all, she had a right to ask, regarding his safety and the other three, but Draco had her concerned for some reason. He'd seemed upset at something already before she'd found them all four wandering around.

Draco couldn't help but panic a little and clutched the letter tighter in his palm, she hadn't seen the letter his father had sent him yet, and he didn't want anyone to see it. He'd cried for hours when he'd read it earlier that day and had just finally had the courage to write back to his father demeaning why he was forbidden from seeing his Aunt.

"He was looking for us, he watched us leaving and was going to turn us in." Harry spoke up quickly, seeing the Slytherin's panic clearly, but if he could see it, then so could McGonagall, but she had nodded, taking the excuse, "Well, I'm sorry to say, Mr. Malfoy, that your intentions were in vain... Now, off to bed."

Irritated that Harry had stepped up for him, Draco rushed him the moment they were away from McGonagall’s office, "Why'd you do that, Potter! I didn't need your help." Draco growled with a glare to the boy who looked unaffected by his reaction to him, only angered him more.

"Because with how strong that grip of yours is, I saved you from having to give that letter to her, something I have a feeling you didn't want to happen." Harry clarified.

"And I suspect that now in return you want me to tell you what the letter says? Well, guess what, it's not happening. I'll see you in dentition tomorrow, Potter." Draco walked off in a hurry, his father's letter constantly re-reading itself to him in his head.

Harry knew the letter was very personal, but had hoped Draco would have tried confiding in him, they had, after all, shared a moment as possible friends after their first dentition a few months ago and he knew something was bothering the Slytherin boy, and for some reason Harry was concerned. Something had happened that had made Malfoy turn on a dime.

**_Draco,_ **

**_Your Aunt Mira and you have both been forbidden from seeing each other._ **

**_She is no longer welcomed to our home, nor our family. Your mother has also been banned from seeing the woman._ **

**_You are not to have any contact with that traitorous witch._ **

**_I will know if any of you have contact with each other, there is no point in trying to do so._ **

**_Sincerely,_ **

**_Your Father_ **

With the words constantly on a loop in his mind, Draco had gone back to bed that night with tears running down his face, crying himself to sleep in silence.

**Malfoy Manor - Earlier that day**

He'd found Narcissa writing to ‘Mira’. But his raging anger had been let loose. Narcissa had made her first mistake when she had written _Dear Emma,_ in the letter she had been currently writing, telling Emma everything she'd found out. This betrayal to Lucius had clearly sparked his rage, and his terror. 

Lucius snatched the letter from the desk quickly and a verbal fight had begun. The Dark Lord was indeed coming back, and she had named the person he was currently using, a Professor that was currently inside the school with Emma's nephews and Narcissa's only child. And because of Narcissa’s accidental slip, Lucius had figured it out. Emma had been disguised as his wife's cousin for years. Emma was Mira Black and he'd been infuriated and fearful his family would be mutilated once Voldemort was finally released and returned to power.

"Lucius, please don't do this! Draco's only a child, if he comes back, he'll demand to mark him, our son will be in even more danger! LUCIUS!" Narcissa screamed with terrified panic.

Her husband had turned on her in that very second, his own fears for himself, his family and their wealth and shouted at her in anger and pure terror, "If the Dark Lord wishes to Mark Draco as one of his followers so it will be, Narcissa! He is my son as well! The last thing I want is for him to be on the wrong side of this war. And I will not have my son as an enemy to the Dark Lord!" Locking her in their bedroom, he’d also gone as far as removing her wand from her, quills and papers, then proceeded to send his son an owl that would fly directly to him that afternoon.


	8. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Emma huffed as she walked down to Hagrid's as Fox. Sitting atop of Mal's large head, he was lying next to Fang while Hagrid was getting ready to go into the Dark Forest, waiting for Mr. Filch to bring the kids down.

"Bet'er get into the Forest Fox, I'll meet ya in there. Stay near the path so ya can follow us." He said to her.

Tilting her head just a bit, Emma yipped and jumped off Mal, running into the forest.

Hagrid knew Emma was very unhappy with the four student's detentions, he saw how on edge she was, something was bothering her, and it worried him. Because when Dumbledore, Snape or Emma, were worried, he worried even more so.

And they were all worried. Something that sent fear through Hagrid like ice in his veins.

"Hello Hagrid, here are the little Kitties for dentition, come back safely, ya hear?" With that said, Filch walked off leaving the four kids with Hagrid.

"I thought he was kidding. We can't go in there, it's full of-" 

**_HOWL!_**

"We-were-wolves." Draco said with a shutter as he and the others looked between one another, worry and fear radiating off them.

Already upset and a bit annoyed himself, Hagrid sighed calmly, "Well, we are. Now come on, we 'ave a job ta do. Oh, don't worry I have a backup in 'here, she's a feisty lit'le thing, she is." Hagrid informed the kids, hoping it would calm their fears and nerves. Unfortunately, it hadn’t subsided.

They'd walked around for a while until Hagrid came upon what he was hoping he wouldn't find, Unicorn blood, silvery liquid in a thick puddle, "Ya see 'hat 'here? This is Unicorn blood, it's hurt bad ya see, an' we 'ave to find the thing that's hurt it... Now, Harry, you'll go with Draco, Ron, Hermione, you'll come with me. We'll go this way, you two go that way. If anythin' hap'ens just scream, I'll come get ya."

"Fine, but I get Fang." Draco said with a prideful grin.

"Fine, just so ya know, he's a bloody coward. Come on." Hagrid grumbled as he and the other two walked off, both Hermione and Ron looking back to Harry with sympathy.

"Come on Fang." Harry sighed with that they were off in search of anything suspicious.

They had walked for a few minutes, finding nothing, "This is ridiculous. Just wait until my father hears about this." Draco grumbled. He wasn’t just irritated, he was humiliated.

"If I didn't know any better Draco, I'd say you were scared." Harry was annoyed, Draco had been going on for the last ten minutes about how ridiculous this was, and he was getting tired of it! Harry’s sympathy for the Slytherin boy as to why he seemed so upset was now gone.

Draco huffed and went quiet for a few more minutes, until he started talking, again, "So, Professor Fox is your Aunt I hear."

Taken aback from this turn of events Harry nodded softly, "Uh, yeah. Why?" he answered a bit unsure where this was actually going to be leading.

"Did she really face off with you-know-who?" Draco asked curiously. He had to know, he had to know if she was as mad as the rumors were or not.

Harry shrugged, in truth he really didn't know, they hadn't talked about it. And he didn’t want to know, he didn’t want to hear about the terror she faced that night.

Draco had instantly felt envious, even though Harry had no parents, whereas Draco had both of his, but Harry had found his Aunt just when Draco was forbidden from ever seeing or speaking to his own Aunt ever again. Only for that reason, Draco Malfoy began to dislike Harry Potter, all because Harry gained an Aunt only for Draco to lose his own. He'd been about to make a snide remark when Fang began barking at something, their attention moved towards a shadowed figure and the two boys froze in sheer panic. They found a cloaked figure looming over a Unicorn body.

They feared as to what it was doing, though Draco and Fang wouldn't stay around much longer to find out.

Draco shouted in fear and panic.

Fang turned tail and nearly trampled over the poor blond as he ran, Draco closely following behind him.

Harry watched the figure look up slowly from the Unicorn, the face was covered to the tip of his nose and watched the silver liquid dripping down his chin as it grinned at him, the fear sent him stumbling back as the figure moved towards him just as soon as Harry’s scar began to burn and sting painfully.

"Your Aunt is not here to save you this time, Harry Potter." The voice snarled. It was like a rough and harsh whispered tone, as if the figure had gargled nails and razors, but it frightened him all the more as the cloaked being came closer and closer to him.

Harry's heart skipped a few beats, he only had one idea as to who it was, "Voldemort." He hadn't meant to say it, the name just slipped out. Harry was pressing his back against the tree roots, trying to get away, but all it did was cause the roots to dig into his back, nearly ripping his cloak and drawing blood from him. Harry’s breath became difficult to draw in, his eyes filled with fearful tears as he realized that Voldemort was right, Emma wasn't there.

A loud _Yip_ caught their ears, both looking around for the creature that had made that sound yet saw nothing. They were both frightened and screamed when a flash of white came out of nowhere, attacking the figure's face making him scream in panic and pain, "Get off me you mongrel!" He screamed, taking off into the air in an attempt to flee. He'd finally gotten the creature off him and growled back at it, an irritated glare blazing his covered eyes upon realizing it was a Fox. He was surprised when her claws slashed him across his collar causing him to shout in pain. Throwing her from him and back down towards the ground.

The Fox growled back up as he retreated and jumped off the fallen tree logs, bounding after him, took one big leap and almost had the end of his cape in her jaws. 

A flash of green was sent at her.

Emma's eyes grew wide. She was going to die, she could feel the heat close to her face and she had almost accepted her fate until she let out a painful yelp as her body was jerk down towards the ground and into someone's arms. The curse flying over her head, missing her long ears by mere millimeters.

She was panting in the arms of a Centaur, who was somewhat holding back his laughter as she took her short front paws and began fretting about her long ears, yipping and yapping as she rubbed her ears down to check them, then began getting mouthy with him for pulling her tail, _"He almost got my ears! My cute long ears! What is it with me and my dang ears and tail... Wait, my tail! YOU PULLED MY TAIL! THAT HURT! What is wrong with me? Oh right, I'm having a panic-attack!"_

"Calm down Fox, your ears are fine, your tail is fine, I didn't pull that hard." The Centaur laughed, rolling his eyes playfully at her and laughed harder when he found her glaring up at him with a look screaming, _"I call bullshit."_

"Harry!" Their attention was redirected towards Hagrid's voice.

"Harry!" Both Hermione and Ron shouted, rushing to their fallen friend.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked worriedly while Ron helped him dust himself off, "That was Voldemort, wasn't it?" Harry asked Hagrid. Harry was filled with fear, "Why was he here?"

This time the Centaur chose to speak up, he was calm, but something in his eyes, his tone, made them shiver, "Do you not know what is in the castle at this very moment, Mr. Potter?"

"Firenze! Don't say anymore, we're not to be involved in this War, the last one was enough!" another Centaur shouted as he and another walked up, both looked absolutely enraged at Firenze, but he shook it off. "If we do not at least warn the boy what good would our people have accomplished?"

"We are not Mules to their beck-in-call! We are not to be involved, the planets say so and so we shall listen," with that the two strutted off, their noses in the air and chests puffed out in irritation.

Firenze sighed and shook his head, "This is where I leave you, Harry Potter, good luck... The planets have been wrong before, I hope this is one of those times. Hagrid, Fox..." He stopped as he grinned at her, she was grooming her ears and tail, still grumbling about her poor tail, "Fox, if you're going to groom your fur, at least use Lavender. It soothes and softens, trust me." He said laughing at her.

Emma sighed with a huff, still yipping at him in thanks as she trotted over to Harry's feet. Sitting in front of him she yipped a few more times.

"I see, well, good night to you all, best be getting out of the Dark Forest the lot of you." and with that he rode off to meet up with his retreating members. They had been almost out of the forest while Fox had rushed ahead out of the forest herself. 

"Probably saw a rabbit," Hagrid said with a shrug, he honestly had no idea how to cover up for Emma's little crazy fox stunts, she sure acted like one when she was in her Animagi form.

Hermione and Harry piped up at the same time, both wondering the same thing, "Why did he kill that Unicorn?"

"A Unicorn's blood is pure in magic, rich in it really. The pure magic of its blood can help save someone from near death, or so a few Centaur friends have told me. But they know the animals bet'er than I do, so I take their word for it. Emma? Emma what on earth are ya doin' out here?" Hagrid asked, obviously playing dumb as she rushed to the kids and pulled Harry and Ron into a tight hug, looked Hermione over for injuries then pulled Draco in for a tight hug himself leaving the Slytherin boy confused but hugged her back none the less, for some reason the hug reminded him of his Aunt Mira. Then he remembered she was a professor, why was she hugging the students?

As if she could read his thoughts she had answered, "I'm not a Teacher until one of them cannot make it to a classroom, I aide occasionally but help mostly with security. So, technically, I'm only 'Professor' when someone needs me, until then, I'm just Miss Evans. That and I know your Aunt would have done the same thing, as would your mother. Hagrid, what happened, I heard screams." She too was playing dumb, again, the kids had no idea she was 'Fox', and for now it should stay that way. But why no one had connected the dots to her ‘Professor Fox’ to ‘Fox’ she had no idea.

"We need to speak with Professor Dumbledore, Emma, immedia'ely, but I think you should see the studen's to their common rooms firs'. They don' need to be walkin' back alone."

"Of course, come along." They followed her and Hagrid back into the castle, "I'll talk to the Professor, see ya up there, be safe." Hagrid said before splitting off from the group and headed up to Dumbledore's tower.

As they walked down towards the Dungeons to Slytherin's Common room Ron piped up out of curiosity, "Aunt Emma, how'd you know we were out there?"

"Minerva informed me this morning, she knows you boys are my nephews."

"Oh, how great, not only does Potter have his Aunt here, now you're Weasley's Aunt! This is so ridi- what's that?" Draco stopped mid-walk as he stared at the envelope currently in Emma's hand.

With a soft smile she nodded, "From your Aunt. She explained to me what happened and as an old friend, that just so happens to have owed her a favor, she asked me to give this to you. There's one in there from your mother too I believe." she sighed at the skeptical look on his face as he stared at her. Emma understood why he didn't believe her, but it didn't stop her from being bothered by his lack of trust. She was glad she wrote herself a letter to give to him for proof if he needed it, because Draco knew her handwriting like his most favorite Lullaby that she used to sing to him, along with two of the stories Narcissa would tell him before bed. Emma had no doubt he’d take the letters, "Here, one from your Aunt Mira addressed to me." Draco had snatched the letter from her hand, an excited smile on his face as he read her handwriting, took the thick envelope then threw his arms around her waist, hugging her tight, "Thank you."

Harry, Ron and Hermione watched in shock, mouths hanging clear open as they watched Draco smile up at Emma and run into his Common room to read the letters from his Aunt and Mum, "What was that?" Harry asked. After all, one of his ‘enemy’ classmates had just smiled and hugged his Aunt had made the boy’s a bit uncomfortable. They’d never really seen Draco be so grateful, or happy, like this before. Then again, none of them really knew the boy. Question was, would they ever give themselves the chance to know the boy they saw running away with excitement? For that small moment, the three friends only saw a happy boy who had wanted nothing more than to hear from his Aunt. 

Maybe Draco Malfoy wasn’t so terrible after all.

Raising her brow at their curiosity, Emma smiled and lightly shrugged, "Nothing to worry yourselves with. Now, time to get you three back to Gryffindor tower." She grinned when they all groaned, slouched and began following her back up the flights of stairs.

"Night Auntie Emma."

"Goodnight Aunt Emma," Harry hugged her tightly and walked through the portrait smiling happily at her following Ron in, who yawned tiredly, "I miss my bed, I'm not even going to change I'm so tired."

"Good Night Professor Fox,"

"Good night, Hermione. Try to keep the boys out of trouble, yes?" Emma laughed when her and Hermione shared a look of, _"That's impossible,"_ yet the first year stunned her with her answer.

"I'll try, but I can't promise anything, I'll likely be with them." Hermione said with a happy smile and a skip in her step as the Painting closed.

Both Emma and the painting of the Fat Lady shared a smiling look, “Good to have you back dear girl. I never did get to give you my condolences… But I know you shall live happily. My name wasn’t always **_‘The Fat Lady’_** you know, my dear. I see a fire inside you, like a grand-daughter I once had. Now, go to sleep, I shall watch over them tonight.”

“Thank you, Dear Lady,” Emma said gratefully with a small bow to the Lady painting and walked off to bed.

“She is the only one besides my granddaughter to have ever graced me with such love. It’s nice to remember.” The Fat Lady sighed with happiness. 

“Do you think she is one of your descendants, my Lady?” The mother painting next to her asked, she loved watching the interaction between Emma and the Fat Lady’s painting. 

Sighing sadly with long ago memories the Lady shook her head softly, “No, she doesn’t have his eyes. Nearly every generation would have his eyes, and such eyes they were. Such a shame I never got to meet my Great-Grandchild in person. My grandmother said it skipped my generation, but maybe the line died out after all. I doubt I’ll ever see such eyes again, expect with the paintings hidden deep within the castle walls. Now sleep girl, it shall be a long night.” The Fat Lady sighed with sadness as she sank into deep thought and kept watch over the halls of the Gryffindor Common room.

* * *

**December 30th, 1991**

Harry had taken to wandering the castle at night in his father's cloak. He'd asked his Aunt if it was from her, but she had denied it and said the prank boxes for him and the twins were from her and a small thing of sweets for all the kids and his stuffed bear Mellena had made him from when he was born. 

The bear was old and slightly warm, but very well maintained. The front right paw was embroidered with the initials; **H.J.P.** Though, over the holiday he'd been looking for anything involving Flamel and the Sorcerer' Stone.

Harry began to panic when one of the books in the restricted section began screaming, which brought Mr. Filch and Mrs. Norris his way. Harry did the only thing he knew he could do. He grabbed the Invisible cloak, threw it around him and ran only to run into Snape, witnessing the Potions Master corner Professor Quirrell, "You don't want me as an enemy, Quirrell,"

"I-I-I do-don't know wha-what you're t-talking abou-out, Seve-rus." Quirrell stuttered with fear. 

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to, I'll figure it out soon enough." Severus stated with determination. 

"I-" 

"Don't play dumb with me, Quirrell, it's time you found where your loyalties lie." Snape froze, swearing he heard heavy breathing. Looking around he was unaware he was looking right at Harry with a confused look, because there was nothing there to Snape's eyes. Reaching out, he grazed his hand through the air, the fabric barely touched his fingertips. To Harry’s luck.

Harry watched Snape look at his fingers in confusion but turned back to Quirrell, about to say something. Harry waited for anything that could help him and others with the information they needed. He wasn't so lucky.

Filch rounded the corner just then and explained to the two professors that a student was out of bed. This had them all rushing off in search of him. Harry was glad he'd found a door that had been slightly ajar and slipped in, closing the door as silently as he could. Peeling the cloak off with a heavy sigh of relief. Finally, relaxed Harry glimpsed around the room in awe, but to his slight shock, his eyes found a large, beautiful, mirror standing in the center of the room, the name **_"The Mirror of Erised"_**

Curious as to why a regular mirror would be sitting in an empty room, Harry began to inspect it but found something heart-wrenching as he stared into the Mirror. Harry began seeing silhouette figures that slowly began to form into people, two were his parents, both looking at him with want and love as he looked back at them with heartache and sorrow, "Mum? ... Dad?" they were so young, just teenagers themselves as their son gazed at them.

Their smiles told him everything, they loved him, they wanted to be there with him, and they wanted to hold their son. But fate was cruel and twisted. Dashing from the room with excitement that he saw his parents, he had to tell Ron, he **had to** **show** Ron.

"Ron, come quick, you have got to see this! Ron you gotta see this! come on. Ron, wake up, hurry." Harry rushed to his friend’s bedside and shook him violently.

Ron grumbled with tiredness and irritation as he stirred and looked at Harry, "What is it?

"It's my parents, come quick, I saw them... I saw my parents, Ron..." This succeeded in getting the red-haired freckled boy up from his bed and out of the common room with Harry. It took him an annoyingly long time to get back to the room he'd found the mirror in, but he'd finally found it and rushed a tired Ron to the Mirror who just shrugged after not seeing anything but the two of them, "I just see us, Harry."

"Here, stand there, and look, you'll see them." But as Harry moved Ron's eyes found something that was not his friends’ parents, it was himself as so many things; Head Boy, Quidditch captain, and so much more, "Harry, don't ya suppose this thing tells the future?" He was by far excited, if he was going to accomplish all these things in the future, he'd be the most accomplished son his parents had. Sadly, Harry's falling face was what broke him back to reality, "How can it? Both my parents are dead."

* * *

Emma had been looking for Harry for days, he was always missing now and again. When she did spend time with him, he seemed down in the dirt, yet he wouldn't talk to her, and that worried her. Draco had started coming around, asking her to take a letter to his Aunt, he was always excited about getting his letter to her, even more happy when he'd get one back.

 ** _"My Aunt and Mum found a way around my dad. I don't know why he's forbidden us from seeing her or talking to her and I'm scared to ask why. I don't want to ask her or mum, and I can't ask dad because he'll get angry... I never like when he's angry. I tried to demand an answer in my first letter, it didn’t go very well."_**

Emma wanted so badly to just tell him, but he and Narcissa could be put in more danger than anyone because they were in the snake’s den themselves.

_'What is Lucius thinking? Has he gone mad!'_

Emma sighed with complete relief when she found Harry in the Dining Hall staring into the huge fireplace in a daze, she instantly regretted not taking the boys to the Potter Estate for Christmas, instead she'd stayed at Hogwarts thinking they would like that and took them through Hogsmeade and the Diner in Godric's Hollow two days before Christmas and spent time with them all outside in the snow Christmas day and helped the twins, Ron and Harry with their Prank boxes, as fun as it had been she should have known better. "Harry?"

"There's a Mirror here... In the school, it shows you what you want... Your greatest desires. Did you know that?"

Emma heard the far-off dreamscape in his tone. Something was bothering him, a great desire from what she could hear in his voice when he spoke about this Mirror and this great desire of his broke her heart. "There are many mirrors in the school, Harry. But the answer is no, I had no idea there was a mirror here that showed you your desires... What did you see?" She had a feeling she knew what he saw, and she'd never blame him for it, because deep down, his desire was almost like hers', only in a different form.

"Mum and dad. I saw them, and more people behind them. Even a happy Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. They were smiling, all of them. Smiling at me, they were happy."

Nodding with understanding, Emma sighed softly, her emerald eyes shining sadly as she watched him, "You desire a happy family... Harry, there is nothing wrong with that. You were cheated out of a lot as a baby-" 

"So were you Aunt Emma. You were cheated out of having me, I was cheated out of having you. I don't care if Aunt Petunia ever smiles at me because I never saw her smile, not at me at least. But the smiles on Mum and Dad, the happy smile I saw on everyone else’s face I see every day when I look at you and Ron and Hermione, all of the Weasley’s when I see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. So, then why do I still feel alone?"

That was a fair question, and she'd give him as good of an answer as she could possibly give. Sitting next to him, Emma gently nudge his arm with hers, softly and playfully shoving him from his depressing thoughts, she smiled when he did and nudge her back in the same playful manner, "Harry, as you said, we were both cheated from a life we should have all had, your parents took the brunt of it unfortunately. You see them, not because you wish for a happy family, but because you want to see them, hear them and feel them hold you like they should have had the chance to. Just remember that no matter where they, or me, are in life or death, we will always love you. We'll never leave you, even when you feel alone, you're never truly alone."

It was then Ron walked up, "Um, Aunt Emma, may I have a private word with Harry, Please?" At her smiling shrug she nodded to the boys, kissed the top of both boy’s heads and walked off, "Harry, I’ve got a bad feeling about that Mirror, I don't think you should go back anymore."

"What? Why?" Harry had been shocked from his dazzled dreams, even the talk from his Aunt had vanished as he stared wide eyed at Ron.

"I just have a bad feeling about it, Please? Don't go back?" Ron was worried, his friend was spending more and more of his time with that Mirror, his mind was no longer revolving in reality. 

Harry nodded reluctantly, but he knew he was going to go back on it, he needed to see his parents. And he had, the next three nights Harry would sit in front of the mirror for hours staring at his parents smiling faces.

**-A few nights later-**

"I see you've found the Mirror of Erised… It shows the most desired thing the person wishes for... However, the happiest being can stand in front of this mirror and see only him, or herself. Witches and Wizards alike have wasted away in front of this mirror. It does nothing for you, Harry. Which is why it

is being moved to a new home shortly. And I must ask you, to never go looking for it again." Dumbledore spoke, he had said what he'd come to say, but he knew Harry had found it days ago, he'd hoped the poor boy would have figured it out, but with the concerns of Ron and his Aunt, Dumbledore couldn't help but intervene.

Harry didn't know what to say, only nodded. He would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed the mirror was leaving, but Dumbledore's words bothered him, _"Witches and wizards alike have wasted away in front of this mirror,"_ So was he doing that very same thing? Was he allowing himself to waste away because of this Mirror?

Harry nodded to the Headmaster, "I promise, Sir, I won't go looking for the Mirror again." and he knew he would stick to that promise because there was no way he would be able to find it again, even if it was moved to a different room in the castle.

The rest of the Holiday Harry spent laughing and enjoying his time with his Aunt and the Weasley boys at Hogwarts, but there was something about his Aunt that had changed, something was worrying her, and that made him worry. Yet every time he asked her if she was all right, she'd smile, hug him and tell him, "There is nothing to worry about."

* * *

**-Flash back-**

**_"Have you gotten any new information, Emma?"_ **

**_"No, she tried finishing her letter she last sent me, but I haven't heard anything after that, she must have been discovered, all I know is that the traitor is in the school, see for yourself."_** She had watched Albus read the letter Narcissa had sent her, his eyebrows rising as he looked at the smudged-out name, _**"You smudged out the name of the sender."**_

**_"Yes, I will not put her life in danger. She's already risking enough as it is, we both smudge the names out when we get letters from the other. But most of the time we use different names."_ **

**_"And how, may I ask, do you know this is not the enemy playing you in their hands_** **."** Snape had snapped his question coldly, his eyes narrowed at her. Emma had grown more concerned, _'What's going on with him?'_ She gave him her own stern look, _**"We have a code we made up ourselves, no one knows it but us and it's not exactly a code that can be taught or learned so fast, it took us two years to perfect it ourselves, Severus Snape. So, don't you dare question me or this source. Not to mention that I know her handwriting like the back of my own hand. Professor, she was trying to name the person behind the mask that's in our school, but she was interrupted and had to send what she had. This is obviously a second handed letter, the first one may have been compromised. Another reason I am doing as much as I can to keep her identity in the dark… Even from you if I must."**_

 ** _"It says here that she sent three letters, two for you and another for someone else... Where are these two letters?"_** Dumbledore asked her, he'd tried getting into her head, just as Severus had tried doing at the same time, yet they had been bounced off her mind’s shield and thankfully it had withstood the assault. She had been enraged when she felt them trying to invade her mind several times over the meeting... And that meant they no longer trusted her, _**"I will**_ **not _reveal who the source is. And two of those letters have already been delivered, that is the only letter you need to see."_**

 ** _"Emma! That letter you delivered could have been to the very person involved in the scheme to bring him back!"_** Snape verbally charged her, shouting with outrage as he slid from his chair. He had been taken off guard when he was sent up in the air by his ankles, yet no one had their wands out. So how did he get up in the air? He moved his refocused eyes to Albus, the one person he knew had the ability to use his magic without his wand. He was shocked to barely hear any words upon seeing Emma standing where she'd been, right hand held up at him and a deadly glare he'd never thought he'd be on the receiving end of. _**"How is this possible!"**_

**_"I was in a coma for three years, Severus. For those three years, my magic was sealed up in my mind and body and continued to collect. Albus was kind enough to help me focus them into a healthier manner beside slipping off into the woods and letting them explode outward like they were for nearly six months. I trust this person with my own life... I trust them with Harry's life."_ **

He was speechless, he was left with even less words when she had let him down calmly and carefully. He’d been thankful she hadn't just let him drop out of the air, with a final look at one of his dearest friends he walked out of Dumbledore's office.

Emma pointed to the door that had viciously slammed closed, _**"What the hell is going on with him, Albus? He was never like this until this year!"**_

 ** _"Emma, calm yourself,"_** Dumbledore took a sigh, _**"Severus, has to do things now that will only make you shiver."**_

Emma had been shocked to hear this, ** _"What's going on?"_** She could only wait as he sat in his seat in silence, a sad silence filled with regret and Emma nearly went into a panic as realization sank in.

There were only a few reasons Severus would start acting this way, and a very few reasons why Albus would not only defend Severus's actions at his randomly changed personality but also fear telling her why he was now acting so strange and feel such regret. And all those reasons involved Voldemort, the Death Eaters and the great sacrifices that was to come of this, _**"What have you done!"**_

Emma stood frozen in shock and horror, _'How could he do this to him!' **"Albus, why would you ask him to do that!? Have you any idea how hard he worked to get away from them!?"**_

Albus had swiftly stood from his chair. This was the first time Emma had ever warranted the wrath of Albus Dumbledore, _**"I know very well what he had to endure to get away from them, Rose! But we need him involved with them because he can get us information that could very well save your nephew's life! Your life! His wife and children! He was once a Death Eater, one Voldemort once trusted. Now, he must endure the most and worst amount of pain and sacrifice than anyone, to save us all, not just your family and his, but all of us in this World. Now, I understand you're upset, even on his behalf, but I want you to understand that we cannot win this war without sacrifices, and Severus gave me his services, anything I needed from him. Severus Snape is an extraordinary asset that I shall use to our advantage and he understands that himself! He's a smart and talented Wizard, Rose. He will be fine. If you do not believe in me, then believe in Severus to not only do his job but to also stay alive... He wants to watch his children grow, he wants to see them succeed in life and see them have families of their own, but if we lose this war like we nearly did last time, then we're all dead either way. Now, I believe you have nephews to see. Give them all my best, please? Have a good day, Rose."**_

With that, Dumbledore took a heavy sigh and sat himself back in his chair as Emma walked out, leaving Dumbledore to his self-torturers.

** -End of flashback- **

* * *

**June 1992, End of term 3**

Emma couldn't help but continue to think about that conversation the next few months, it was bothering her so much she had nearly made herself sick. After she spent the day with the boys she met up with Severus and spoke to him about it, "I owe him, Emma. Not just that, but it's the right thing to do. I was a coward before. I will not be one again."

"Does Mell know?"

"She knows a little, not everything but she knows enough, but now that you know just about all of it, I'm begging you, don't tell her." He was begging her. Severus Snape was begging her to not tell his wife of this.

Why would she keep that to herself, Mellena was her best friend and that was something Emma knew she deserved to know! "No! Sev, Mellena has a right to know! Y-you can't keep this from her you could be killed, they could be killed! If she’s left out of this, she'll think you've betrayed them, betrayed us all. Why would let them believe that?"

In a panic Severus swiftly pulled free his wand and cast a memory charm, not truly erasing her memory of the encounter, but muffling the memory to a dual whisper. Severus Snape had done the very thing he had thought he'd never do, especially to his best friend. He knew he'd hate himself till the day he died, but if Emma talked to Mell in full details about what he was meant to do, he feared for their lives, and Mellena who would, without a doubt, run with his children. Severus watched her blink a few times in confusion and look around, confused as to why they were in his office, but she couldn't quite remember why she had come to talk to him, she remembered something was bothering her, but couldn't seem to remember what. Emma looked back to him and smiled at him, but her smile quickly faded into a concerned frown when she saw the distressed look on his face, "Sev, what's wrong?"


	9. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 9**

* * *

"No-nothing, um I just… I'm not feeling well, I probably ate something bad at supper." He lied to her, it wasn't the first time he had to lie to her, not even to Mellena, but it didn’t stop himself from hating himself. The charm had worked a bit too well, "I should get home, want to see the kids." With that he stood from his seat in his office, kissed Emma atop her head and walked out. Though he hadn't gone home like he had told her, he went to his classroom and started on the files and papers he needed to finish grading.

Severus Snape had done his gradings but had also ended up filing through the afternoon. He hadn't realized it had gotten later than it was and had decided it was best to actually go home as he had told Emma he needed to do just hours ago and left his classroom. He was finally on the first level of Hogwarts when he unfortunately ran into three noisy Gryffindor's, all three looking worried and very set-in finishing something, Harry especially, didn't look the least happy. "Now, what would three young Gryffindor's such as yourselves be inside on a day like this?"

"We-well, we-we-we we were just-" Hermione stuttered, she had no idea what to say, and the look Snape was giving her was a look that said he was waiting for an answer, "Someone would think you three were... Up to something?" he'd heard Harry's thoughts loudly, they knew about the stone, they knew Voldemort was coming back, they knew Voldemort was after it, and they thought he, Severus Snape, was involved in it.

_'I need to find Emma!'_ and quickly walked off without another word to the three in search of Emma. Terror struck him at the state he found his office in, it was a disaster. Someone had destroyed his office and Emma was nowhere in sight. Worried, Severus looked around hoping to find none of his belongings missing, which turned out to be a relief that it was all there. However, it was a small amount of blood on the corner of his desk that frightened him. He had a sinking feeling that the blood belonged to Emma. Panicking, Severus rushed from his office up to Dumbledore's, "Emma’s missing, there’s blood in my office where I left her a few hours ago! I-I don’t know where she is!"

"WHAT!" Hagrid barked in shock. Dumbledore had been in the middle of a meeting with a few people, Minerva, Hagrid, Alastor Moody, Andromeda Tonks, Remus Lupin and the Minister of Magic. Everyone was in a state of shock.

"That's impossible! Who would want to kidnap Miss Evans?" Fudge questioned. He was already upset as it was. They had been in the middle of a meeting regarding the Witch that was now pronounced missing and likely kidnapped.

"I hate to break it to you Minister, but it is possible she was taken, especially if the person in question was currently in our school!" Snape snapped, he was in a panic, Emma was missing and there was blood in his very office to prove that fact, even if it was a small amount, it was still blood and his office was in a ransacked state. Emma Evans had been captured by an enemy, or someone with a deep infatuation with her, the sudden thought had scared him when his mind turned to two men, Remus Lupin who had fallen in love with Emma over the years then the fear of Sirius Black escaping… Unless it was the Dark Lord himself, if it had been in that case, Snape’s family was in danger and his best friend was possibly being tortured for information as they spoke.

"Then I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Professor, you may **all** inform Miss Evans that her claim to Harry James Potter has been, once again, refused and that her requests, and poorly stated demands, for visitations and trial for Sirius Black has also been refused! Due to her poor statue as a teacher here at Hogwarts and has proven she cannot be responsible for a child, nor care for herself, it seems! Harry Potter shall be returning back to his Aunt and Uncle’s home! Good Day!" Fudge now had more on Emma that he and the Ministry could use against her, with Fudge refusing to believe Emma had been taken he had moved to walk from Dumbledore's office, huffing and puffing with pure irritation ranting about _“Poor excuses of guardianship these days”_ and _“Terrible manners to show for her own meeting she had called,”_ begging Fudge himself to attained.

"You can' do 'hat Minis'er! She jus' wan's 'er fam'ly back!" Hagrid screamed after the enraged and retreating Minister of Magic who turned and shouted back, red in the face from anger, "Yes I can, **_Game Keeper_**! And I have!"

"Cornelius! Please, Miss Evans has never missed a meeting like this before! Professor Snape rushing in claiming she has gone missing against her will is indeed something to be looked into- CORNELIUS!" Dumbledore ceased his shouting just as Fudge Disapparated out of the school, "Damn! … Minerva have Filch round up the ghosts and search the castle immediately! Andromeda inform the rest to keep eye’s out for her. Hagrid, you and Mr. Lupin will search the grounds. Alastor, search the office of her disappearance. Severus, what happened!" Dumbledore was beyond angry, they had been so close to getting Harry in Emma's care, now this comes and slaps them!

* * *

_'What is going on!'_

Emma groaned as she sat up from where she was laying, her head pounded and her stomach almost lurching, "Oouch,"

"Emma, how nice of you to join us." A voice said calmly from the shadows, but she knew that voice, how did she know that voice again? Emma strained her eyes to see into the dark, but her head was pounding with a heartbeat. She was unprepared for the interrogation that was about to begin.

"How did you survive? I get how that nephew of yours did, but you should have been destroyed when he was." The voice asked again as Emma moved her feet to dangle off the object she was on, possibly a body slab made of marble, it felt cold and smooth, "Why do you care how I survived, no one knows, I don't even know. Ugh, my head... Wh-what happened?"

"I slammed your head off the corner of Snape's desk, of course you're going to have a slight concussion. One moment," With that the figure vanished for a few moments. Reappearing, he grabbed her by the back of her head and shoved a potion down her throat, "There we go, the headache should go away. Unfortunately, it doesn't solve the possibility of having an untreated concussion."

He was right, she was glad, mostly lucky, he hadn't shoved poison down her throat.

Emma waited for her eyes to readjust and the figure began to not only take shape, seeing their identity. Her jaw dropped in horror, "Quirrell! But how-why!"

"I've been involved since the beginning of the year, Evans. He saved me, I owe him my life, so I have given him my life. My body as a host." Quirrell said in a far-off distance tone, it was like he was staring right through her.

Her heart heaving with terror, Emma looked at the man who’d once been so insightful, so warm and enjoyable in just about anyone’s presence. "What did you do, Quirrell?"

"I gave him my body to use..." He said simply, once again his tone was a far-off distance of himself as he began unwrapping his turban.

Emma sat wide eyes and horrified as he turned his back to her, a face growing out at the back of his head. The face formed began to laugh.

“Hello again, Emma. See what you and that meddlesome sister of yours did to me! Me! The most powerful Wizard that'd ever lived must thrive as a mere parasite! How did **_you_** survive!" He screamed, his voice sounded like he'd gargled razor blades and nails.

Emma stared at him, her emerald eyes wide and unable to find her voice, "Ah, those eyes, such eyes... Just like that Gabrielle friend of yours, such eyes, so blue." Emma felt sick, he was mesmerized by hers' and Gabby's eyes? _'I think I'm going to vomit,'_

"How did you survive!" He demanded once more. However, at her silence he became impatient and angry. "ANSWER ME!" His sudden shout made her jump a little in her seated position, screaming a little from fright at the sudden shock of him shouting at her and she had instantly regretted giving him that much power over her when she saw the wicked grin across his face.

It was the same thing over and over. She had no idea. Sissy had told her the necklace was for protection, but no one could beat the killing curse, she had informed Emma that the curse should have killed her either way with such a direct hit, that not only Voldemort, but to her as well, since she was standing right in front of him should have been just as equally destroyed. Irritated and still nauseous Emma screamed her only answer she could truly give anyone, even herself, "I don't know!"

Unpleased, Voldemort growled, "Quirrell, hide me, we have a certain young wizard to kill. Emma, dear, stay put. Someone will be along to gather you for safe keeping." Even with his tone so soft she didn't like the sound of it at all.

_'Safe keeping? What for! ...Oh God, I think I really am going to be sick.'_

As Quirrell left, Emma slipped from the marble slab, falling to her knees and in a nearby corner and vomited, "Oh Merlin, this isn't good." She was glad she found a small thing of water and rinsed her mouth from the vile taste and began looking around for an escape. She had been unlucky for what felt like hours, she had no idea what to do and no one came for her at all. Not even Quirrell or Voldemort came back, though she was very happy they hadn't, which likely meant Harry was alive and Quirrell was dead or captured. However, as the time moved forward and her hope and energy drained from her, Emma did the only thing she could think of after an extra hour, possibly, she screamed for help. 

"Help! Somebody, HELP!" But no answer or saving grace came for her. She was left in an underground room with very few lanterns lit around for gentle light from the looks of it all. She had no wand and her wandless magic had limitations at that moment. She could levitate someone and more, but she couldn't blow her way up from underground, she'd cave herself in and possibly be crushed in the process, what use would she be to her nephew if she was dead? So, she unfortunately continued to scream. Emma screamed for anyone, almost everyone, she would even be grateful if it was Lucius that found her, but still no one came.

As the hours ticked by, Emma couldn't help the next name that slipped past her lips, a heart stopping cry she hadn’t yet let out of her broken heart, "SIRIUS!" 

Even though she knew he couldn't come for her she had screamed for him at the top of her lungs. Her thick tears rolled down her face as she did so, crying to the stone cage she was currently imprisoned in for Sirius, remembering he’d once told her he’d always come for her, that he’d never leave her, **_"I'll always come for you,”_**. The words he’d said to her when her parents had died, when she had accused him, James and the others of wishing to leave her behind, to not keep her with them. She remembered the pain in his eyes, the hurt in his voice, **“ _How could you think Lily or James would ever allow that to happen! Worst of all, how could you possibly believe I’d do that to you? Why would you ever think I'd abandon you like that?”_**

During her time, Emma had understandably not realized she'd been missing for several days. She hadn't found any way out and there was no magic binding a door closed, otherwise she would have blown that out, only there was no door that she could find, nothing. She was hungry and very dehydrated. Emma was getting weaker by the hours’, by the day’s, that she was missing.

**June 28th, 1992**

"What do you mean she's gone? My Aunt, **our** Aunt, wouldn't just leave us like this! What's going on Professors?" Percy demanded in horror, Emma had been gone for days, no one could find her, the ghosts had searched the entire Castle and found no sign of her, even the paintings helped and found nothing. Peeves had even helped, and the Bloody Baron had come back saddened they hadn't found her. By now, Dumbledore had been forced to inform the family of what had happened, he'd written Molly and Arthur Weasley and the others.

"As I have said, Percy, someone attacked her while she was working and took her, she has not been found in the Castle nor around the grounds of Hogwarts, we have the Centaurs looking through the Dark Forest also in search of her."

Molly and Arthur had come to gather the Weasley kids. Harry, who had begged not to be sent back to the Dursleys, but Dumbledore's hands were tied, he had to send the boy back otherwise the family that he was found with would most likely be charged with kidnapping. And he'd be in a worse bind, not to mention that Emma and Dumbledore would most likely be banned from ever having contact to the eleven-year-old boy. "I'm sorry, Harry. I have to send you back, Emma is missing, and they are the only family you have- blood family, Molly." Dumbledore clarified, looking to the red-haired woman who was about to speak up, "I have to send you back, whether we like it or not. I have no power in that case." Albus explained.

The poor boy had been in tears for his missing Aunt, but he was frightened to go back to the Dursleys, his freedom would be gone, taken away the second he was picked up, worse when they'd return to the house. He just got reunited with his Aunt, she was finally back in his life, and now she was missing? Dumbledore had said she had been attacked quickly and that the office had been destroyed after the fact to **look** like she had put up a fight when she probably didn't even get the chance too.

"How do you know she didn't put up a fight, Professor?" Fred and George asked, they had pretty much read his mind, but they too looked just as bothered.

"A friend of ours is an Auror, he took a personal look at the destruction of the office and had concluded that had Emma put up the fight she usually does, the office would have been in a worse state." This left the boys, all of them, to look at Dumbledore in shock and disbelief. Though Molly understood completely, she had seen the destruction of the Potter's safe house firsthand after the tragedy.

"Trust me, I have seen the aftermath of your Aunt fighting for her life and for another’s life," Dumbledore started, he'd pointed a look at Harry as he'd spoken the line of protecting another, "And that office looked nothing like it should have, had she had the chance to actually fight back."

* * *

**July 5th, 1992**

A noise brought her from her weak sleep state, it sounded like a latch of some kind, "Quickly, before they come for her." the feminine voice was familiar to her, but she was too weak to notice whose voice it belonged to. The lanterns had gone out a while ago, she couldn't tell days or hours from being underground, she only saw two faces, that of a frightened Narcissa Malfoy and an extremely worried Remus Lupin.

"Sissy? Remus?"

"Shh, Emma we have you... You're safe Foxy." Remus said softly to her, lifting her up into his arms, allowing Narcissa to wrap her cloak around the freezing, imprisoned redhead. Emma was nearly frozen. It was so cold in the ‘dungeons’.

"Your safe sweet girl, hurry Remus. They're coming!" Narcissa panicked, tears of fear clouded her mind, "Curse me.”

"What!" Remus looked up at her in shock.

"Curse. Me... Hurry, or I'm dead and so is my son! Curse me, Remus."

"No, claim I used _Impero_ on you, I'm not hurting you-" Remus froze with sheer shock as a flash of red bolt passed his head, Narcissa’s eyes misting with unshed tears brewing deeper in her blue eyes. "What are you doing!" He hissed, his mind hazing with fear and uncertainty.

Narcissa stood with a strong backbone, defiance and determination, "Curse me, or I'll make you!"

In a regretful two seconds, Remus pulled free his wand, a flash of blue flew at her, hitting Narcissa square in the chest sending her back into the far-off wall, knocking her out cold as he Disapparated out, without Narcissa.

It nearly killed him leaving her unconscious there. But he had no choice, she did the only thing she could think of to spare not only him and Emma but also herself and her son. Narcissa was likely going to attempt to claim she had gone to collect Emma only to be attacked by Remus. If anyone could sell that line, it was Narcissa Malfoy.


	10. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 10**

* * *

**July 12th, 1992**

Lucius paced back and forth of his study, he was in a panic, "Is my wife alright? Is she awake yet? Dobby! Listen to me, you twiddling moron! Is my wife awake!" He'd been so worried his family would be murdered. His wife had gone after Emma and had been injured in the process, now the red-haired Witch had been saved by an Order Alley. 

_'How did they find her! Not unless Narcissa added them, if that's the case my family is dead, I'm dead. My family Estate and the Malfoy name will be liquidated. What was she thinking!'_

"Y-yes, Sir, Lady Malfoy has been awake for sometimes, Sir, bu-but she requested to be-" Dobby had been silenced immediately as Lucius sent the snake head of his cane into the poor Elf’s cheek bone, making the Dobby stumble and hold his hurt face in his hands to hide the shedding tears as his Master burst through the study doors and towards the husband and wife's bedroom.

His anger radiating off him as he pushed open the doors, glaring heatedly at the blonde woman sitting upright in bed, a book in her lap and a cup of tea in hand. Her calmness seemed to only anger him more, "Wife." He hadn't truly meant to growl out at her, but he had either way. It nearly unnerved him when she hadn't reacted at all to him, or his anger.

Narcissa was calm as she sipped her tea, "I know why you're here, Lucius. But I want you to know I didn't go to aid her. I went myself to get her and bring her here to the family dungeons… I want your trust back, **_Husband_**. But I want my family safe. I **_need_** Draco safe."

This, however, only seemed to enrage Lucius more, "He is safe! As long as **_we_** serve the Dark Lord as he requests! Loyalty, that is all our Dark Lord has ever asked from any of us! Tell me now. Did you truly go to aid the Dark Lords cause? Or did you go to cover up for that Witch!?"

Narcissa waited patiently for her husband to start breathing normally again, "I went to gain an advantage for the right cause for this world." To this, Lucius nodded, a relieved sigh leaving him. They were safe, he was glad he'd gotten Narcissa to wake up and see his reasons for the Dark Lord's cause of the Wizarding world.

However, Lucius didn't seem to realize that Narcissa hadn't quite answered his question, she never said a word about the Dark Lord's cause, she had said **_"an advantage for the right cause of this world."_**

Unfortunately, Narcissa's pride in winning that round had only lasted a little while. Lucius nodded and informed her of something. Something he'd taken upon himself to do personally, "I've told Draco his dear A _unt Mira_ was killed in her home. A house fire caused by a gas leak... Tragic really. The historic two-story home burned beautifully if I had any say to it." Lucius said, holding back a grin as he witnessed his wife's chest faultier as she took in a breath, her eyes filling with unshed tears. Lucius Malfoy had hunted down anything to do with Mira Black. Simply because he couldn't find a single thing with Emma Evans. So, when he'd found her home, he’d burned it himself.

Narcissa had taken a few moments to let the news registrar that her husband had burned Emma's home she had made herself for when Narcissa and Draco would stay with her, but Lucius hadn’t seemed to realize that Emma never left a thing of very importance there. It was all at her cottage home, protected and guarded by charms and defense spells or at the Potter Estate which had stronger magic protecting it from anyone but herself and very few other people that had permission to access the home. Not even Narcissa could enter through the Barriers. Something that had taken Narcissa two years, if not more, to convince Emma to repel even her. **_“I’d die before I harmed you Emma. You, and Draco are all the family I have left, I fear I’ve already lost my husband… I won’t lose my son, and I won’t lose my only friend. Nor my favorite cousin.”_**

* * *

**The Burrow**

**July 20th, 1992**

"So, I lost Harry's custody yet again then?"

Molly sighed sadly as she nodded, she had to tell Emma after she woke up, but she didn't want to tell her when she was still physically, mentally, and not to mention magically, weak. Her recovery had taken a few weeks, the only thing she hadn't had the heart to tell her was about Fudge out right refusing to let Emma see, or speak with, Sirius Black, telling her about Harry’s custody loss as well as that would have ruined her.

"Has he answered any of Ron's letters? I haven't gotten one back myself." Emma was in the middle of kneading the dough while Molly was nearly finished with the one, she had currently as they spoke.

"No, Harry hasn't answered anyone. Apparently, Hermione has been trying to send him letters also, but she hasn't gotten anything back either. He surely would have at least answered you, Emma. Poor boy was beside himself when Dumbledore told us all you were missing. The twins were frantic and dear Ginny cried every night for a week, still probably does to be honest." Molly admitted.

Emma couldn't help the light giggle, she was glad they'd looked for her, even more so overjoyed when Remus and Narcissa had found her. Emma still feared for Narcissa, she hadn’t heard word from the Witch in a while and Emma’s imagination was beginning to get carried away. "So, is that why I've had my room packed with children since I've been back…” She questioned with humor.

At Molly’s giggled laugh Emma randomly thought of something, “By the way, have you seen one of my sweaters and a scarf or two? I'm missing a few articles of clothing."

Molly suddenly burst into laughter as Emma asked about her missing clothes, "Ginny kidnapped your red sweater, the twins nabbed a scarf or two. Said they couldn't sleep at all, that when they had the items they’d slept much better. I felt bad for them, so I left them to it. I knew you'd never mind." She laughed as she finished up the bread dough.

Emma couldn't help but laugh with her, "Of course I'd never mind. I was just curious. You wouldn't mind making another scarf and sweater for me, would you Molly? I liked that sweater." Emma did a fake pout, making herself and Molly go into another round of playful laughter yet again. However, it was cut short by a frantic Ron bursting inside after finishing his chores, he had sent his last letter to Harry nearly a week ago and he still hadn't gotten anything back. It had been silent on Harry's end the entire first month of Summer, "Harry's still not answered mum... I'm getting worried." And he wasn't the only one.

Emma was, once again, beside herself, she had sent several letters saying she was sorry she had gone missing, that she was alright and very safe and wished she had been able to win custody before his first year was up. Thinking of her rescue, Remus was still not telling her what happened before they Disapparated after she had passed out after seeing Narcissa's face, those tears she saw sliding down her friends’ faces before her mind spun and became dark once again frightened her.

Yet the voice that came from the door made Emma smile, "How's our Fox today?" The voice asked, a voice of one of the two people she had just been thinking about, "Remus? How are you?"

"Ah, don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you. How are you feeling?" He asked, brushing her off from his own condition. Excited to see him, Emma walked to him as she looked him over then gave her dear friend a hug, he was back, he was coming around more often, she had one of her boys back. "I'm fine… You're too thin, Remus. Go clean up a bit, you know where my room is. Sleep, you need it."

"Emma- " Remus was silenced by her turning a stern glare at him. She was right, he looked a mess, and he was absolutely exhausted, "Remus John Lupin, go."

With a defeated sigh, he'd done as told after hugging her once more in a tight embrace and kissing the top of her head, "Where would I be without you Emma Evans."

Both women looked after him in awe as he walked up to the restroom. He cleaned up and dressed in some of the fresh, cleaner clothes Emma always held for safekeeping for him then fell asleep in Emma's room, gladdened for a comfortable bed.

He hadn't been staying at the Potter Estate as Emma had told him to use as he pleased and needed, it didn’t feel right to him, and not having Emma there was like he was invading someone’s home. The Estate was still well kept and still very livable, Emma just liked being with Molly and the other families to keep her distracted of her lost family and the empty homes, even Kreatcher wasn’t able to distract her most of the time.

* * *

**Dursley’s**

Harry was a miserable mess, he missed Hogwarts, his friends, his Aunt. He hadn't gotten a single letter at all and he still had four weeks to go until he was back at Hogwarts of Witchcraft and Wizardry. No news came on behalf of his missing Aunt and he feared she was dead, just like his parents. That made his pain all the worse. His back and neck were burning from being outside working all morning and through the afternoon, Harry had pushed his luck when he'd stooped to Dudley's level to scare him. His fun hadn't lasted, and he'd regretted it times five when his aunt had made him do just about everything; pruning the roses, mowing the grass, pulling weeds, painting the fence, washing the car, etc.

Harry couldn't, however, bring himself to forget those big green, bulging eyes, he'd seen earlier that morning. Though, he didn't realize he was going to regret later that night. His uncle was having dinner guests over that night, a business proposition if he sold the deal.

Unfortunately, fate was, yet again, finding it funny to play with Harry and his family when it spit at them.

Harry had gone to his room that night after being told over and over again that he was to be invisible, like he wasn't ever visible to that family. He'd intended to just rest on his bed and try to figure out why he hadn't gotten any letters from anyone. 

**_'Maybe they don't care, maybe they never cared... Maybe Dudley's right, I probably don't have any friends.'_ **

But Harry was shocked to find his bed already occupied by something, someone, jumping on the mattress, "Harry Potter, what an Honor to meet you." The creature said, a smile on his leathery tanned skin, but his big bulging green eyes were what captured him the most, they were indeed the same eyes he'd seen earlier that morning.

"Who are you?" Harry stammered out, his stomach turning with fear. There was an Elf in his bedroom!

Harry’s troubles had only begun.

"Dobby. Dobby the House Elf... Just Dobby though." The elf said with a smile, "Dobby is here for one purpose... Dobby has come to warn Harry Potter. Harry Potter must **not** go back to Hogwarts this year, Sir." Dobby warned in a low, hushed tone as if he would be caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to.

Harry was speechless, first Voldemort tried to kill him his first year at school, his Aunt gets kidnapped and he hasn't been told a single thing about her condition, her where-about nor if she was even still alive! Now a house elf was telling him he wasn't to go back to the only place that has ever felt like a home, a place that has given him family and friends, "What? But I have to. Hogwarts is my home, it's the only place I belong, I'd imagine you'd understand that." If they really ever cared about him that was. For the next thirty minutes Harry had tried to convince Dobby, to not only tell him what was going on, but why he wasn't to go back to school? It wasn't until Dobby had admitted to stopping and holding onto his letters that Harry had lost all form of patients for the poor elf, "Give me those... Now."

"No!" Dobby ran.

Harry took off after him, jumping the last four steps Harry landed as silent as a cat to his great thankfulness.

It wasn't too last. 

Harry watched Dobby levitating the pudding cake high above the floor. 

**_'NO! Aunt Petunia's Pudding cake! If he drops that while I'm here, I'm dead either way!'_ **

He'd argued back and forth with Dobby for a few seconds before Harry tried to catch the cake, but it had been a failure and the cake splattered all over the dining room floor and onto Harry as well, the poor boy was standing there in a stunned state of doom, **_'I'm Dead,'_** Harry was even more terrified when the Dursley's and their guests rushed into the Dining room and found the horrifying mess.

Petunia looked as if she was going to pass out, but it was Vernon who had a look screaming of promised death, or at least Harry may wish for it.

Vernon had glared at him like he was going to skin the boy alive, and Harry actually feared he might. Vernon had told the Masons that they thought strangers upset their nephew, which was why they'd hid him upstairs, but it wasn't until Hedwig had been mysteriously let loose that the Masons had left in a hurry. Mrs. Mason in utter terror and Mr. Mason in absolute anger.

Vernon had locked Harry in his room after that, and the Ministry hadn't helped save him from the Dursley’s wrath when a letter arrived giving him a reminder and warning of underage Wizardry was not allowed outside of school besides doing the required homework. Vernon had forced the poor boy to read the letter aloud and that had sealed his fate, "YOU'RE NEVER GOING BACK TO THAT SCHOOL AGAIN... NEVER!" Vernon had put bars on Harry’s window the next day and a small cat door on his door to slide a tray of food into him. He was fed three times a day, if he was lucky, and only let out twice, once in the morning and once in the afternoon or a bit later, and that was to use the restroom.

His school things were all in the broom cupboard under the stairs, he was lucky Vernon had let him keep Hedwig with him, let alone his new room. Harry had lived like that for three day. Every night he'd wake up in a cold sweat, all the nightmares of Voldemort and Quirrell of that terrifying night, the nightmare would change to his Aunt screaming in the dark for someone to help her, to find her before it was too late.

_"Harry!"_ He could hear her screaming in the dark, flashes of green, more screams, then it was nothing but silence.

It would turn from that to him lying in a cage at a zoo with everyone pointing, smiling and laughing at him. He'd looked closer into the crowd to find Dobby, he’d reached out for the house elf to scream for help, _"Harry Potter is safe here,"_ then Dobby would vanish, as he woke up Harry shot up right, wide awake.

"Harry, wake up." Harry looked out the window and found a face poking at him through the bars. A pale freckled face and red hair, a wide smile on his face as he looked at him, "Ron? What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you of course! I was worried and so is Hermione. Aunt Emma is almost having a heart attack back home." Harry was excited, Emma was alive, and she was with the Weasley's! This was amazing news, "Why haven't you answered my letters?"

"I'll tell you on the way, get me out of here. Wait, how are you going to get me out of here, we can't magically do it ourselves or we'll be expelled."

Harry grew a bit worried as Ron grinned. It was a grin of pure mischief, "I brought the best with me."

"Hello, Harry," 

"How are you doing?"

"Oh, man, Ron really wasn't kidding when he said your family was loony… Come on then, let's break you out of this prison." They said with wide grins of excitement and they got to work. 

Getting the bars off the window as quietly as possible was a bit of a shock to Harry, George had moved to pick the lock to the broom cupboard and grabbed Harry’s trunk and everything else, Harry packed everything into the trunk and climbed into the car with Harry almost behind him just as Vernon came through the door to check on the boy.

Vernon's face turned red with rage, "PETUNIA, HE'S ESCAPING! PETUNIA!" Vernon shouted, charging the fleeing boys, he’d managed to grab a hold of Harry’s ankle and held on like a vice causing Harry to scream in fright and shook his leg.

Ron grabbed a hold of Harry with Georg’s help to pull Harry back into the car, "Fred! Drive!"

Vernon had been pulled from Harry's window and landed in the flower bed that had thankfully cushioned his fall.

Harry smiled, happy he was free and rolled the window down, took Hedwig's cage in hand and let her out. His smile widened as he watched her fly behind and beside them, while Harry began explaining everything that had happened.

"That's a bit suspicious, Harry. House Elves don't do anything like that unless told to, they are bound by servitude forever to their masters and do as told and expected of."

"Can you think of anyone that would try this?"

Harry and Ron both gave a look to one another, a heavy sigh left the boys, "Yeah," Harry said a bit let down. He’d fallen for it. He had actually thought Dobby was trying to help him like he was saying he was.

"Draco Malfoy," Ron and Harry spoke up together as they said the boy’s name. Come to think of it, they wouldn't put it past Draco to do something like that.

"Lucius Malfoy's boy?" Both twins asked, a look shared between the two.

Harry had no idea who his father was, so he just shrugged while Ron nodded, "Yeah, why?"

"Lucius Malfoy was once a follower and major supporter of you-know-who back when he tried gaining power," George started, "But when he fell from grace, he claimed he was cursed and forced into doing the dirty work. Claimed _Imperio_ was used on him and he had no choice." Fred finished for his brother. They drove all night to get back to the Burrow.

* * *

Emma had been unable to sleep and had walked around the Weasley’s home with Remus, both catching up then they'd found the car missing. Her heart had dropped into her stomach, “O-oh Merlin! Oh God no… oh my God! Re-Remus they-” 

Almost panicking himself, Remus grabbed her arms as she began to hyperventilate, "Emma... Breath- damn, Emma!" Remus shouted for her then dashed off into a run, chasing after her back into the house as she checked on all the kids, Ginny was still in bed. Except Ron, Fred and George were missing. 

They had taken the car. 

"Remus-"

"Emma, if they took the car then it's because they went after Harry," He said calmly, holding tightly onto her arms. He saw the fear in her when she found the boys missing. He understood completely as to why she was terrified, they'd vanished on her right under her nose. Who wouldn’t be upset?

Taking in a terrified huffed breath, Emma knew that there was no chance she’d ever be able to relax at this moment, her nephews were gone, flying in the air with her other nephew, the only being she had left of Lily and James, "Remus, my nephews slipped out of this house and got that loud car in the air without me knowing. Molly's in bed, she'll have a heart attack -"

"Emma, they saved us a trip in the morning anyways," He was being honest, because they **had** saved them all a trip that very morning to go gather the boy.

A bit shocked Remus had even said that, Emma looked at him with wide eyes, "It doesn't matter, they're underage. If they are seen **_and_** caught, they're all-in deep trouble. Remus, we're the adults, we're supposed to be the ones protecting them, not them doing it themselves. Well, not alone at least, we're supposed to be there, be the backup, to catch them-"

"Emma, they're your nephews, they love trouble, they're smart, they can outthink anyone, so you've said, yes? They **can** outthink anyone?" Remus was right as he reminded her, his eyes stern but full of understanding.

Everything he was saying was true. She couldn't help but worry, she worried like Molly would, and she knew Molly would not only be beside herself with worry but angry at them for taking the car. However, Remus was right, she needed to calm down, there was nothing she could do now that the boys were gone, "Yeah, they can outthink just about anyone, but Remus they're in a **flying car.** "

"I know, Emma I know, but they'll be fine. Just think of it, when the car gets here, Harry will be too. You can finally hold him, then you can scold the boys with - uh-oh."

"Emma! The boys are gone!" Molly shouted with fright as she bounded down the steps, she was in the middle of getting ready for the day and had gone to check in on the children, like she always had, and found not only the twins gone, but Ron as well. She was in a fright but was relieved when she’d heard Emma and Remus still up and made her way down the stairs frantic.

"I know, Remus and I just found it missing, I'm so sorry Molly, I swear we didn't hear the car leaving." Emma said frightened she’d lose more family. Her deep emerald eyes shined with worrying tears.

In truth, Remus had chosen to stay quiet at that moment, because he was the one that helped the boys get out of there without Emma catching them. "I didn't hear anything, shockingly." Remus shrugged, he was a good lair, he just hated doing it, but he was not going to admit he'd helped the boys get out by using a _Muffliato_ charm, he liked breathing and he did desire to have children of his own, eventually. If it were ever possible of the child not being infected by his Lycanthropy. Therefore, giving Remus a reason to lie his pants off as much as he had to, even if they burnt off him, there was no way he was going to look at the two ladies and tell them he had been the reason the boys had gotten away so easily. It wasn't the first time he had to lie to Emma, though Molly was a different story altogether.

The were-wolf nearly shrank at the stern look on the Weasley mother's face, "Remus Lupin, if you're lying to me, I'll have you hanging by your toes." Molly growled.

Remus gulped with a shake of his head and a weak smile on his face. Remus had to admit, Molly Weasley was nearly as scary as Lily was when upset, which meant she was worse than Emma, because Emma learnt it all from Lily.

"Come along Emma, let’s go get ready for the day to start then, we'll wait for them to get back, no doubt that poor nephew of yours will be hungry."

They had all done just that, they took their baths, got ready for the day, Molly in her usual colorful outfits and knitted apron and Emma in faded Levi's boyfriend pants, a white short sleeved shirt and one of Sirius's red and orange plaid flannels with simple tennis shoes and went about helping Molly with the chores. "You look comfortable dear." Molly said with a gentle smile as she watched the redhead move about in the kitchen with her.

Emma smiled with a blush, returning the smile to Molly. The Weasley mother’s cheeks were always a cute pink when she smiled, but Emma saw right through her. Molly was terrified for her sons and Harry. "Thank you, Molly, I figured to help you with chores."

"Thank you dear, um could you start on the dishes, I'll go out and feed the chickens, I want to save some things for the boys to do when they get back, now I just have to think as to what they could do."

"How about de-gnoming the gardens? Those little buggers are back again, like they always are." Emma suggested with a thought.

Remus silently sighed as he listened to the ladies discussing this topic, "Don't you two think you're being a bit hard on the boys? I mean after all they are bringing Harry with them. They did save us a trip." Remus said, trying to help the boys did not have such a punishment. Leaning against the stair railings he grinned as he watched the two women before him eye him strangely. Thoughts circling their minds. Though, his mind was brought to the forefront of the situation. He could hear the car coming and hoped he'd be able to simmer the ladies down. Unfortunately, he had to duck to avoid being smacked in the head with a spatula, "I knew it! Remus Lupin, you helped those boys get out of here! You, sneaky wolf!" Remus couldn't help but laugh as he took off running, Emma hot on his heels.

He at least got Molly to smile and laugh at the two friends’ interactions. Remus smiled wider when he caught a happy smile on Emma's face as she chased after him outside and around the house. He'd done his part, now hopefully the boys had Harry with them. His prayers were answered when the car started to land, but he had other planes at the moment.

Remus stopped, turned on a dime and caught Emma in his arms. His lips grazed across hers, but like he had said all those years ago, Remus Lupin couldn't kiss her, it wasn't that he wouldn't, he had a burning desire to kiss her. But it was the fact that he **couldn't**. Because deep down, he knew Emma was still not his to kiss, and she never would be. With a sad sigh he looked deep into Emma’s emerald eyes, eyes that could haunt anyone and kissed her forehead, "You're still not mine to kiss, Fox."

Emma smiled up at him into pale green eyes and kissed his cheek, "Thank you, Remus," Emma would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous when he’d caught her. Her heart had nearly faltered when his lips gently brushed her own. She was a little nervous, but she was mostly scared he would truly kiss her this time, then she’d have to break his heart more than it already was. Something she wanted to avoid at all cost. She was relieved he hadn’t gone through with the kiss.

"Aunt Emma!" At hearing Harry shout for her, Emma looked towards the car and it was then she felt the happiest she had ever felt in years. She rushed from Remus's arms and met the twelve-year-old halfway. The second Emma had him in her arms she kissed him all over his smiling face and spun him around, wrapped in her arms tightly, "I am never letting you go again." She whispered into his hair.

Harry was so happy. He was free, he was safe, all the feelings he was being flooded with sent him into an emotional breakdown and began to cry in his Aunts’ arms, "Don't make me go back there, don't make me go back to them, please!"

"I won't Harry, I'll still be at the school this year, but I'll be stuck with security, I'll have plenty of time to spend with you, though I'll be gone some days at a time to speak to the Ministry. I have a hearing in a few weeks for your custody. I need to know everything Harry, I have to have everything. Petunia won't fight them.”

They'd be sending a muggle who worked with the Children's Affairs for the Muggles community, but the woman that was going to speak with the Dursleys had a witch as a partner, she worked for the Ministry in the **Magical Children Affairs office**. They were the ones that decided if the child needed to be removed due to an unsafe environment. They'd read Emma’s letters and both hers’ and Harry’s files, everything that had happened. They had informed Emma that the Ministry, and Minister, had no right to refuse her case, nor custody, when Emma was not only family, but also a Magical being herself with a safer environment and understanding with what Harry was going through. So, she may end up getting lucky this time around regarding Harry’s case. Petunia wouldn't argue either, that Emma was sure of. Hopefully by the end of the school year Harry wouldn’t have to go back to Petunia.

“Molly's inside- Boys! Where do you three think you're going?" She'd caught them, Auntie Emma had caught the three brothers trying to slip from view and inside through the back door. The three froze the second she found them out. Her tone frightened them all the more, "Uh, bed?" George said, a playful smile on his face as was his twins.

"I don't think so you three, inside, front door. You're mother's got breakfast ready." She smiled when she watched the boys sigh in defeat.

But Harry's reaction made her smile a bit more, "Who's he?" He asked, pointing to Remus, who, in turn laughed gently, "Remus Lupin, Harry. I was a dear friend of your parents and I’m also a close friend of your aunt. Wonderful to officially meet you, properly that is. I was the one that gave you the photo album last year.”

"Are you like my Uncle then?" He was only curious, but he saw the pain in his aunts’ eyes and the regret in Remus's. Harry wondered if that meant they had once been that close but had never continued their relationship, or did his aunt just write others off as to avoid ever having anything getting between her and her determination to get him back? "No, Uh- Your uncle is actually your godfather. He… Well, he's unfortunately unable to be here at the present time. But I'm working on getting him home, Harry. I promise you that." Emma said sadly to the boy, the two friends watched his shoulders drop with sadness, the fact he was being informed his family had in fact not only been killed but scattered to the winds had indeed bothered him.

But his curiosity had been rekindled, "Who is my godfather?" Again, it was a very fair question, he and his aunt had been robbed of everything they've always wanted and deserved. A family, a proper family.

"I'll explain later..." Emma asked. Honestly, she was nervous to explain Sirius Black to him, but she was relieved when Harry nodded, he could trust his aunt, Dobby had dropped the letters when he'd left, probably by accident and Harry had been able to hide them when he was in the middle of cleaning, she had told him many things in the letters. Like she loved him, and she'd never lie to him, but that some secrets were necessary to keep from him for a while longer until he was older, otherwise she'd tell him everything.

Emma watched them through the window as she did the dishes, giving Molly and Arthur time to themselves and a break from everything. She watched Harry laughing with the three Weasley boys. Ron was showing him how to de-gnome the gardens and she did have to agree she found it funny and had reacted the same way when Molly had shown her once after she woke up, afterwards she found it entertaining. Her attention had been drawn back into a breathless hold when she felt arms cage her in between a warm body and the sink.

"Why'd you thank me?" His voice was whispered against her hair.

Emma wished she could love Remus like he deserved to be, but her heart had stayed with Sirius, and she would never be able to abandon that, never able to abandon Sirius because he would never have done it to her. Sirius was not only her heart, but her life, he and Harry were both two halves of her heart. Now she just had to work on getting the other half freed once she won Harry.

"Because you still can't kiss me, because I'm not yours to kiss, as you've said. And I'm sorry to tell you, I'll never be anyone's to kiss unless their Sirius Black... He's innocent, Remus. I just wish I remembered who really betrayed us. But that's why I thanked you." She clarified, turning to look up at him. She knew he could have been the light of her life, but she was not meant to be his just like he was not meant to be hers.

"You're an amazing wizard, Remus Lupin, talented and smart, practically a genius. But we each have a destiny to someone else, and mine's currently suffering for something he never did, nor would ever do. He loves us, loved you and no one stood beside him. Everyone just turned their back to him, and I wasn’t there to save him."

Remus had to give it to her, she was determined and that was what made her amazing, never once had her hope for Sirius faltered, never once did she doubt him, then again, he wasn't there the night of the slaughter, but her memory had been tampered with, therefore Sirius had been left incarcerated in Azkaban for the murders of James and Lily Potter. Remus sighed, brushing a hand against her cheek, a gentle smile and a wishful dream playing across his eyes as he looked at her, "Now I believe I know how Severus felt when it came to Lily and James. I'll never know what it's like to be loved by you like I'd wish to, but I hope you're right. That I'll find that person one day. I'll always love you though..."


	11. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 11**

* * *

The weeks went by faster than they had thought. They were currently on their way to Diagon Alley for the kids supplies.

Harry had gotten lost with being so nervous of traveling by Floo, when he had finally turned up and Emma had told him it was all right, “I’ve nearly done the same thing several times”. 

Unfortunately, when they were getting the supplies for the children, they had to deal with Lockhart, someone Emma really hadn't had much care for. She personally thought he was just full of himself, but she had left it be, "He's teaching Defense against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts! I'm so excited for that, I can't wait to see what we learn." Hermione gushed over him.

Upon hearing this, Emma had nearly vomited, though she was relieved that she had been able to hold herself together, minus a little bit of sarcasm, "Oh, how joyful." She had tried to sound excited about the news, but if they were going to hire anyone as the Dark Arts teacher it should have been Severus, Mellena or Remus! The three of them were astonishing. Put together as a team, they could be unstoppable.

Harry heard his Aunts' reaction to the new teacher they were about to meet at a book signing, he and Ron had silently laughed to themselves. Clearly the guy was a joke. 

Every book was about him, _'The Famous, Gilderoy Lockhart'._

All of the students were required to buy his entire collection set for class, and yet there was nothing in there about defending yourself, just about his 'fabulous hair and charm and all the amazing things he'd done’. The books really sounded like someone else, in truth a few of them sounded like they were fairy tales of gallant heroes… Not Lockhart.

Harry was filled with embarrassment when he was pulled up to take a picture with the man, when Emma had tried walking away with him, they had found Lockhart's attention had set directly on his Aunt. Harry, not liking much of the terrible, smirking, charms he was attempting to put on his Aunt, put himself in front of her, his expression was absent of adoration or anything else, just a blank look that basically said, _"Stay away from my Aunt,"_ but it was to no avail, Lockhart’s eyes were now purely on Emma. To both of their annoyance.

"Dear lady, are you the guardian of this wonderful boy?" Lockhart gleamed, everyone's eyes on her, and Emma hated it.

"His Aunt, now if you'll please, we have things to get for him, good day Mr. Lockhart." There was no point making a scene. Forcing a small smile, Emma took a breath, an attempt to keep her slight annoyance calm at the unwanted attention.

"I-I... I believe I went to school with you and dear Mr. Potter's parents-" Lockhart had started. Emma had clearly already grown annoyed, and sadly, she did remember the man. Ravenclaw had been rather unfortunate to have had him. Simply because of his inflamed ego and vanity the size of the entire dorm room. If it wouldn't have been for that he would have been entirely fine. She had felt sorry for any House that had him in it. He was bright for a while, until he allowed his vanity and ego to get the better of him. After that, Lockhart had gone downhill and apparently, he hadn’t hit rock bottom, yet.

“A few years below them possibly, I, _un_ fortunately, must say I do not remember you. Again, good day." And with that the two attempted to walk from the bookstore. Emma had been caught by Hermione's parents and were eagerly talking with them along with Arthur, trying to encourage them in trying to feel comfortable in the Wizarding world, even told them her and her sister, Lily, had also been born from non-magical parents themselves and complemented their daughter’s excitement and hunger for knowledge, "She's a very bright young witch, I can definitely see her going very far in her life. She's hungry for knowledge, it is amazing how much she can absorb and remember. She's very talented." She had unfortunately not been paying attention while Harry and the others walked into an unsavory bunch.

Draco had flown down the steps towards Harry and got within inches of his face, a look full of disdain, hatred and utter jealousy. "Bet you loved that, Potter,"

To everyone's shock, sweet little Ginny walked between Harry and Draco, a set glare pointed at the second year Slytherin, "Leave him alone."

Draco couldn't help but laugh, this was funny to him, "Look Potter, looks like you've got yourself a little girlfriend."

They had jumped a little when a handle of a cane crafted into the shape of a serpent landed on Draco's shoulder moving the boy aside to make room for the stern looking father, Lucius Malfoy, "Now, now Draco, be nice." No one had really taken notice as Lucius began to rudely evaluate the Weasley children. Thankfully, Arthur had moved to the children asking them to head outside. Though, during this interaction, no one but Harry had witnessed Lucius putting Ginny's book back into her cauldron with a second book, it was suspicious but if Ginny got a free book out of this by accident, he may not say anything, though, he had no idea he would likely regret his decision later on. Something about that book didn't feel right to him, but why would he get that feeling towards a book, it was just a book, right?

"See you at work, Arthur- Ah, dear Emma Evans. I see you're doing well after the dreadful events that have occurred to you and your family over the course of eleven years. I would ask how your dear sister is, but we both know that the details will never change. How is the wonderful Sirius Black though? Oh, wait, forgive me, I forget constantly that he is no longer in your life either, my apologies. Oh, and I do apologies for not inviting you to our _recently_ dearly departed Mira Black’s funeral. The funeral was quickly planned, we barely had anyone attend due to how fast it happened. Dreadful house fire I believe is what was the cause. I do hope you'll keep Draco in line and warm welcome to someone he can talk to while at School. I was told by my wife that you and Mira were both close with one another while at school all those years ago, practically inseparable. Not matter, good day, _Emma_." He couldn't help the wide grin he gave as he witnessed the slight flinch Emma gave as he spoke of Mira Black's recent, and heart-breaking, death.

Sissy had yet to have the chance to send Emma anything, so this was new to her, but it also didn't stop her from realizing that he had figured her and Sissy out. Lucius knew, and she knew then he had been behind the rumors of Mira Black's death. This was Lucius Malfoy's way of telling her he not only knew but that he was keeping a close eye on her and he'd stop at nothing to keep her from his wife, Draco as well, even if she was there at school with Draco. Lucius had made the boy so distraught over _‘losing'_ his Aunt he likely wouldn't want anything to do with Emma Evans. All because he grew up knowing _Mira Black_ as his Aunt.

Emma took a silent and deep breath as she forced a smile, "Of course, _Lucius_ , I intend to protect all of the students of Hogwarts, on or **off** the grounds." For a split-second Emma felt joy as she watched Lucius's grin falter just a bit before forcing it back into place, nodded and walked off with a frowning Draco giving a pleading look to Emma, his eyes took a little while to harden as he as he walked out with his father.

Harry couldn't believe what he thought, knew, he just saw. Looking up to his Aunt he saw the same shocked expression he had, "So, I wasn't the only one that saw that, right Aunt Emma?"

"No, Harry. You were not the only one that saw that. You do have to remember Harry, that he did just lose his Aunt."

Molly walked up to the kids, Arthur and Emma with a smile, "Come on kids, let’s get home. Hermione, dear, we'll see you at the train station in a few weeks. It was lovely meeting you and your parents, they are wonderful, safe travels to you all." Molly said, giving Hermione a warm and tight hug then bustled everyone out to head home.

The streets were getting more crowded as the minutes ticked by, Molly was still going on about Lockhart, "And he knew you both? Emma, you never said he went to school with you."

Emma sighed in defeat, she couldn't, wouldn't, lie to Molly, "Because in truth the man was a bit bright at first as he went but he had the ego and vanity that could fill the entire common room, probably the Great Hall really. If I'm remembering right, something always bothered me about him." She admitted, and it was true, he'd have been bright had he actually tried to continue with how well she had heard he was doing. The guy had always been a pansy when he was at school, he was not bullied, well, not that she truly knew of. So, she couldn't really say for sure, but she knew he was all talk and a very good actor, but never took action when it came to defending himself, nor another. He caused more trouble than help, always sending himself Valentines, but most of the time it was just Ravenclaw's walking by or all over the school ranting about him, so really everything she ' _knew_ ' was really just rumors and hearsay. So, she really shouldn't judge, but something about that day just made it all not only sound true, but believable. And she hated believing rumors. However, she knew she'd find out through the year as they went.

* * *

**Sep. 3rd, 1992**

"Your eyes are just the main thing that gets you into trouble, Emma. I swear those boys of yours were always getting into fights because of yours and Gabrielle's eyes, even Severus once or twice for Merlin's sake. I truly have no clue as to why Albus let that man back into this school!" McGonagall ranted. In truth, Emma and Mellena were having a bit of an issue keeping up with the woman today, that was never a good sign, ever.

"Minerva, just try to breath, it'll be alright." Mellena said trying to keep up with the older Witch, the two younger ones were definitely shocked, this woman had some legs if she could walk this fast, faster than them!

"Well, why don't we ask him then?" Emma said, and she wanted to see if her responses had come in from the Ministry and the Children's Affairs office regarding Sirius and Harry. "You can talk to that _Wizard_ , Emma. I am currently finished with this nonsense!" McGonagall growled as she walked into her office and slammed the door with irritation, leaving both Mellena and Emma standing in the halls looking wide eyed and in utter shock and fear of the witch.

"Uh, ma-maybe we-we should leave her alone for a while." Mellena said, grabbing a hold of Emma's sleeve of her dress, Emma hadn’t given a verbal response, simply nodded her head quickly several times as both Witches made a run for it away from McGonagall’s Office door. "That woman is scary when provoked."

"I HEARD THAT EMMA ROSE EVANS!" McGonagall shouted down the hall at the retreating girls, this only made the two run faster, rushing into Severus’s Office since it was probably the safest place for them to be at the moment away from Minerva, "How the Hell did she hear that!?"

"I have no idea.” Mellena panted, her heart pounding through her rib cage.

"What, may I ask, are you two doing in my office?" Severus's tone was cold, harsh and very demanding as he pointed a glare to the two, one being his wife. A dangerous move he’d just made as Mellena's head shot to her husband with a look saying, “ _Excuse me?”_

Emma's jaw dropped. Her heart nearly stopped in mid-thrum.

_'Sev, we just ran from one pissed off Witch! And you’re just making another! Are you insane!'_ Emma's mind screamed as she watched Mellena walk towards her husband’s desk, she knew he was shrinking in his chair as Mellena’s growled dangerously to her husband, "Severus Snape,"

Emma took this as her cue to high-tail herself out of there, quickly, "I think I'll leave you two to it. Severus, good luck," Emma lightly choked out as she quickly slipped out of the office and moved along the halls towards Dumbledore's office. If anything, she'd be safe there, right? She'd find this year was going to be one of the most annoying years ever.

Emma knocked at Albus’s office door and found, to her dismay, Lockhart speaking with Professor Dumbledore, "Ah, Miss Evans, how wonderful to see you again. I had no idea you'd be here as well." Lockhart grinned.

Emma nearly choked on air.

_'Does he really think that grin works on people?'_

"Professor Lockhart, I'm terribly sorry, I was simply coming to speak with Dumbledore regarding any information on my **Husband**." She felt victory at his fallen face.

"O-oh, you're married? I'd assumed you were Lily Evans sister-"

"Oh yes I am, but I never got around to changing my name. When everything happened, I fell into a coma and my husband vanished. Probably trying to find a magical way to wake me up, he's wonderful like that." she said with a wishful smile on her face. 

"Y-yes, bu-but he left you? Surely, you'd want to be with someone that would sit by your side until you woke up? yes?"

Albus took the opportunity to cough and clear his throat, "Professor Lockhart, her husband left in search of a way to help her awaken, then he vanished off the face of this earth, likely against his own will. He'd have died before he left her defenseless. Surely you can see the love he holds for her if he willingly tore himself from her side in hopes of finding a way for her to once again see the light of day?" Dumbledore bit out a little Sharpe.

Emma had to bite back her grin as Dumbledore jumped to her aid. The two had seen the disappointment in him as he tried to cover it up.

Running a hand through his hair, trying to make it bounce without effort, "Ah, yes. Of course, forgive me... Well, uh, good luck on your search Miss Evans. Tell your wonderful nephew I'll be seeing him and the others in class." And with that, Lockhart was out of Dumbledore's office.

"I am sorry I interrupted Professor-" 

"Nonsense dear girl. Truthfully you saved me the harsh reality of making him leave my office so, thank you. Now, I assumed you were here for the letters. I dare say that having them addressed back to me was a bright idea. I was shocked that a few of the lines you'd written sounded a bit like myself, again, a bright idea. The Ministry knows myself and the Professors of Hogwarts are trying to aid you in getting Harry under your custody and I believe it is now working with the aid of Alastor's friend Witch and her own Muggle friend regarding Magical Children's Affairs. Her muggle friend, Susan, I believe her name is, is a very bright woman. She has written to you also, and so has Maggie and Alastor regarding the Ministry and Harry's custody."

He saw her excitement as he handed her the letters, one from Fudge, one from Alastor, and two from the Magical Children's Affairs. With a sigh she thought to get the harsher one's over with, it wouldn't be the first time she was rejected all in one sweep, so she was in deep hope that she at least won one case. She felt her heart sink as she read Alastor's letter regarding Sirius's case being reopened and investigated; **Emma, I'm sorry to say that without evidence of his innocence, the Law Enforcement and Investigators, even us Auror's, are unable to open up Sirius O. Black's case file regarding the murders of James and Lily Potter. Until we have proof and evidence, we can't touch the case, without your memory our hands are, regrettably, tied leaving us unable to look for any leads to the couple’s deaths. If Sirius is innocent, then the real culprit has done a job well done in keeping them-self from being a suspect and found.**

**Ever regretful, Alastor Moody**

**P.S. Good Luck**

She sat in a chair with a heavy sigh and set Alastor's letter aside, she had a feeling he wouldn't be able to reopen Sirius's case, but it was still worth a try. Emma took a deep breath as she opened up Fudge's letter regarding her visitation requests to Sirius she had inquired about last year. No one had had the nerve to tell her he'd down right refused her, but she was about to find the harsh reality in his letter soon as tears rolled down her face as she read Fudge's cruel response.

Albus sat uncomfortable at his desk chair as he watched the poor girl's reaction to the letter, he knew Cornelius's letter was going to be the harsher of the ones. Over the years of her being awake, Alastor had tried helping Emma with Sirius's case files, though neither had been able to gain access to his files for reasons unknown and had to eventually stop due to Alastor being threatened to lose his job and Emma being threatened at be tossed into Azkaban and her custody for Harry fully refused and to never have the chance to see her nephew again. Albus had enough of watching her re-reading the letter several times over the next five minutes, gently taking the letter from her shaking hand, placing the last two unopened letters in front her, "Why don't you try Susan and Maggie's letters," his voice was fatherly, or grandfatherly, gentle and calm, though deep down he was infuriated at Fudge. He hadn’t the need to make the girl cry, but Cornelius has been so uptight about the Potter case's, all of them, since the night James and Lily had been murdered. Though, what Albus didn't understand was that Cornelius was present at the Hospital when Emma had her memory tampered with, everything had gone so very wrong for all of them after that.

Emma took a breath to help her relax as much as she could muster and began reading the letters, both Susan and Maggie had written her. Susan, informing the Aunt that when they had visited Petunia and Vernon, they had told them both to remove the boy from their home as soon as they could. They'd handed her and Vernon custody release papers and both stated they'd wanted nothing to do with the boy even when they had found him on the front steps eleven years ago. ** _"Emma can have the little mongrel for all we care. He's caused nothing but trouble for us over the years. She can have him. We've been waiting for eleven years for that woman to take him, our sister even had in her Will that Harry was to go straight to Emma and someone named Black if anything ever happened. So why he was given to us we have no clue."_** Her hope had been restored to some degrees after reading Susan’s letter. The moment Emma opened up Maggie's letter she found it filled with a letter of congratulations, custody papers and adoption forms regarding Harry James Potter, "I won... Albus, I- **we** won! We won!"

* * *

**Sept. 30th, 1992**

Emma hadn't told Harry about winning his custody yet, she had a feeling it would be a nice end of the year surprise he may like, so she'd kept it to herself, wrote to Alastor, Remus and Molly that she won his custody then wrote to Susan and Maggie thanking them both deeply. She had written Petunia informing them of her great thanks and asking if she needed to gather up anything of Harry’s. She was going to be going sometime in October to get the things she knew he'd want from the Dursleys.

"All he talks about is himself! Aunt Emma, how are we supposed to learn anything if that's all he talks about? And this Secret Chamber stuff is really getting to people, they all think Harry is the Heir of Slytherin! It's mental!" Ron ranted on and on. Harry was down at Hagrid's doing homework with Hermione. Ron had asked if they wanted to go with him to see Emma, but they had both told him they would the next time, they had to get their homework done and didn’t wish to pack up with what they were doing only to unpack themselves again.

"I don't know, why don't you have your homework done like Harry and Hermione, Ron? Just because you don't like the teacher teaching D.A. doesn't mean you get to miss the homework." She laughed at Ron when he groaned and pulled the books and worksheets out to start working on them.

"Now, this is mental, the guy is a terrible teacher-" 

"Ron, stop... He is still a teacher, leave it alone. If it's that bad then talk to the Headmaster and McGonagall, I cannot do anything about this situation. Trust me, if I did, I wouldn't have hired him. I'd have left him in the bookstore." But Ron's rant about how things were down spiraling for Harry and this whole _'Serpent tongue'_ thing Emma had the feeling she may want to take them to the Potter Estate for Christmas to get away from the school's crazy rumors. "Ron, are you going back home for the Holiday's?"

He'd looked up from his work and shrugged, "Don't know, mum and dad usually go see Bill and Charlie for the holidays, less money if they go and we stay at school, none of us mind really, I mean we miss them but you know we still get to see them when they chose to come home for family occasions, like birthdays and all that... Why?"

"I'm going to see if your parents don't mind if I take you all to the Estate for Christmas."

"Oh, they won't care, you know that Aunt Emma. Oh, by the way, Mum was wondering if we could use the Cottage for New Year’s."

Emma smiled at the thought of Molly asking about borrowing the cottage, even when she knew she never needed to ask, simply as long as they gave her a notice beforehand so she could get the home in order for them. The kitchen would need stocked, the rooms fixed for them, etc. "Of course, she knows she doesn't have to ask about that unless she's asking for the key. I'll send a copy of the key to her with my letter while I'm at it actually."

Ron smiled going back to his work while Emma finished writing to Molly and Arthur, sealed the letter with a copy of the cottage key and sent it off with her personal Owl. She had been walking back to the stove of her small home she lived in while at Hogwarts. She watched Ron scribbling something down about theories involving who could have been the one to open the chamber 50 years ago and people that could have been involved. She caught sight of the names; Lucius and Draco Malfoy and regrettably, Hagrid was on the list of suspects.

Her curiosity as an Aunt and teacher's aide had won over after she tried letting it go for a few minutes, but had a sinking feeling she'd regret not asking sometimes later on. "Ron, you three aren't planning anything crazy this year, are you?" she watched her nephew freeze at her question and couldn't help the smile that grew across her face while she stared into the pot of soup for dinner, "N-no, why?"

"Then why, may I ask, do you have theory's written on paper you're supposed to be doing homework with regarding the Chamber of Secrets?" she questioned with suspicion.

Ron turned in his chair and stared at her in shock and wonder, "How in Merlin's name do you do that! Every bloody time, really? Do you know everything or something?"

Now she had to laugh at that, but she had a pretty good answer, "No, you're worse than what James was when he tried hiding his papers from another's view, that man couldn't hide anything. Now, tell me what's really going on. I've heard the rumors, but I want to hear what's being said around you, Hermione and Harry, or when he isn't there..."

With a defeated sigh, Ron fessed up everything. 

"You're right, they are mental. Harry is by no means closely related to Salazar Slytherin." She laughed pouring some soup into two bowls and set one in front of Ron.

When he heard her make her remark Ron was a bit confused, the founders lived nearly over a thousand years ago, so how could she know that? "How do you know?"

Emma had forgotten that no one really knew the Potters besides James himself and Sirius, "Because I've seen both the Potter's and the Black's family tree. Trust me, Harry James Potter is not directly related to Salazar Slytherin. Let alone closely related at all. Lines get water down as the generations go on when the family splits up and spreads out."

That still didn't make Ron feel better for Harry, she said he wasn't **_“directly, nor closely related”_** to Salazar Slytherin, not that he **_wasn't_ _remotely_** related to the Slytherin Founding Wizard. Which meant he could be somehow related in a very minor way, but the question was, how minor?


	12. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 12**

* * *

**October 28th - Dursley's**

A knock came from the front door, "Must be Marge, I'll get it Petunia. Dudley, get your feet off the table... DUDLEY! Thank you!" He sighed, forced a smile and opened the door to welcome his sister. "Aw, Marge- you? W-what in the blazes are you doing here! Get off my property you wicked Beast!" He growled, however, his anger and courage only lasted seconds when the Witch before him gave him a stern glare. Her deep emerald eyes had always really freaked him out, as beautiful as they were when she was calm, she was always happy he got shivers and goosebumps over his body when he looked at them, but he was absolutely petrified when her eyes were cold and stone like, almost like they really were dangerously dark emeralds staring back at you, "U-um, Pe-Petun-unia, Emma's he-here. I, uh, I believe she's here for Harry's things."

Petunia had walked into the hall, dish towel in hand "What! With no prior notice!” Yet Petunia froze in mid-step as she looked at the dark red-haired woman standing on their front porch, she thought she was going to have a heart attack as she stared at her little sister, “Li-Lily? B-but that's-" 

Her brow raised at her older sister with slight curiosity. She had to say that being thought of being similar to Lily was a compliment, however, after so many times of being thought of as her dead sister she was kind of beginning to dislike it. "Impossible because she's buried six feet under next to her husband. How lovely to see you again as well _Tunie_. But **_Vermin_** is correct, I am here for Harry's belongings, if you haven't sold or tossed them out already." Emma had to fight back the wicked grin she wanted to show them, she was starting to get that a lot lately, truthfully, it was kind of getting annoying.

Outraged at being accused of such things, Vernon’s face grew red hot, "That is preposterous! We'd never-" 

"Oh, that's right, I'm sorry. You're too good for that, no, I believe you'd have probably burned them. Now, his room if you don't mind? I have students to get back too very soon and I'd like to have his things ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas."

Vernon paled deeper upon seeing a Taxi pull up, he watched the door open and heard his sister's voice booming out orders, then walking up to the porch as the Taxi took off down the road, like he'd just dropped off Lucifer. Vernon’s stomach dropped when he saw a glare on her face as she looked Emma up and down, a nasty sneer as she took in the deep royal blue dress and over coat. "Who the devil are you? You're too old to be trick-or-treating, aren't you? A grown woman in that ghastly thing? Grow up dear girl and join the real world. Maybe you'll be lucky to find a real man to take you in and help you escape your poor fantasy of a life!" Marge barked out with a snide and snickering laugh.

Emma's brow rose once more as she hadn't turned from her sister and brother-in-law as one of her eyes began twitching with irritation and watched Vernon go red in the face with fear, his fists balling up trying not to cry and scream at his sister to run if she could.

Petunia paled and gasped with fear, a hand covering her mouth while Marge tried to move past Emma, though as small as the Witch was, Marge had found it difficult.

"Move, will you!" Marge barked. She suddenly became confused upon her hand feeling a bit swollen. Glancing down she found her hand and arm expanding, swelling as if she was being pumped with Helium, "What-what's this! Ver-Vernon! Vernon, do something!"

In a failing, hopeful, attempt to calm her sister down from possibly killing her sister-in-law, Petunia moved forward on shaky legs towards the front door and her husband, who had pulled Marge into the house to keep others from seeing this scene as Marge continued to inflate, "E-Emma, dear, please. Come in and g-get Ha-Harry's thing's… Please?" Petunia choked out, she was breathing heavily and in near panic as they began watching Marge swell up with air.

Emma simply smiled thankfully towards her elder sister, walked up the stairs and was appalled when she found she had to blow the lock off just to open the door. Her heart hit her stomach upon seeing a small cat door at the bottom of the door to slide a tray of food in. With an angry huff, Emma walked around and gathered everything off the walls, Lily's and James's wedding picture out at the fountain where they had said "I do," and anything else that was his, though she had left the ragged clothes that were far too big for him. "I'll get him more, poor boy needs clothes that will fit him, not near rages. Though, we should be grateful they even gave him clothes in truth." Emma sighed with a huff as she walked down the stairs. Her magically extinction charm on her bag she had tossed Harry's things in, walked into the living room and found the urns with hers' and Lily's name. Gently putting Lily's into the bag and glanced at her own, a sudden thought hitting her with a sad look and placed a gentle hand over the name and smiled at the name replacing her own, **_James Potter_** , then placed it into her bag with Lily’s and walked out. All the while Dudley stared wide eyed at what was going on, "Mu-mum, wh-who was that?"

"Uh, y-your Aunt Emma?"

Hearing his mother correctly, Dudley turned on the sofa on a dime quickly, his eyes wider than ever with fear, "But I thought you said she was dead!"

As the months moved on, Harry and Emma had spent some family time together, they’d talk about what James and Lily were like, but Harry tried keeping his questions to a limit, he’d noticed she’d grow sadder and less excited in the day when they spoke a lot about his parents. It had given him the thought that while she had lived with them, she had lost them painfully more than he had. His Aunt had grown up with them, gotten to know them, had the chance to love them dearly and to laugh with them, share pains with them and hear their voices. Things he knew he’d never get to do with his mother or father, things she will never be able to do with them again. They were both cheated of James and Lily’s lives and his parents were cheated from theirs as well. But Harry enjoyed their October walks, their one-on-one tea outings at the bakery in Hogsmeade. Emma had even found an unused room with a fireplace in it and they’d used it since then as their ‘fall/winter’ picnic location, Harry had even brought Ron and Hermione with them on a few occasions. Harry knew, by seeing the smiling faces of all the people he enjoyed being with that this was his family. He always smiled with true happiness when he’d see his friends laughing and having a good time, but it was his Aunt’s smile and laughter that brought his joy out. She’d been trying to teach him to dance a little, their dancing sessions had them both with two left feet each it would have them laughing and hurting their bellies from the amount of laughter. **_“I’m sorry Harry, I’m not as good a dancer like your father and Uncle. Maybe we should ask Remus to teach you to dance.”_**

**_“But this is much more fun,”_** Harry remembered saying to her. He was grateful his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had taken him in, but he’d wished they would have loved him. Like they did Dudley. Even now he was jealous of his cousin and his parents' love for him. But as he’d watched his Aunt that last night they’d had their indoor picnic. Harry remembered thinking her love and care would be more than enough to be rid of the jealousy he felt towards Dudley’s parental love. 

* * *

** Potter's Estate  ** **\- December 1992**

"Why are you three so jumpy?" Emma asked the three second years, Hermione's parents had told her it was perfectly fine she had their daughter for the Holiday, they had been planning on going on a short vacation anyways and had been told by Hermione she thought they deserved some time without her around. They were up to something, but Emma had always thought it was rude to trample through someone's mind uninvited.

"Nothing,” The three kids said in suspicious unison, all smiling, hoping Emma would fall for it.

“We're fine." Harry told her with a forced smile, he was hiding their plans at the moment and it was indeed something he knew she’d likely skin them over. 

Emma had not believed it at all. Something was definitely fishy, "Okay, wash up, all of you. Dinner is almost done. After Dinner everyone gets to open one present early. I have a gift for Harry I don't think can wait and I don't see it fair if you all have to wait either, so one for one." She said, grinning when they all shouted with excitement as they all rushed around to wash up for Dinner.

"Mm, Emma, this is amazing. Whose recipe is this?" Hermione complemented, a happy smile on her face like the other.

"My sister's, but we got it from our mum, Lily just modified it, but both recipe's taste amazing."

They sat around the table, all happy and smiling. Remus was supposed to be there, but he'd said he had to work till late, though he’d be back as soon as he could. It was when Harry piped up that Emma had to smile wide, "Mum liked to cook then?"

"Yes, she was amazing at it, amazing at a lot of things really, your dad played along the lines of pranks, but he settled himself down around his and your mum's 7th year. That was also the year he proposed, during Christmas actually. It was cute and dare I say, very smooth if I'll admit it. Which I very much am willing to do."

"What were they like?" It was a very fair question. He never had the chance to know them.

"They were a pair made for each other. James and Lily were both outgoing, smart in their own ways with hidden talents. James had a bit of a... A bit of a mean streak sometimes, he and Professor Snape didn't get along too well. Okay, they never got along, except for at the end, but they only saw eye to eye as equals in life eventually and that's what mattered even if they never would have, at least not in my opinion, been friends, unfortunately. Your mum was a warm-hearted person that always tried to see the good in people. She had a temper though when me or James angered her, you should have seen her face when I pulled my first prank on her, by accident of course. I was intending it for Petunia, but Lily walked into it and it was not pretty... For me." She giggled at the memory;

_Lily was soaked in water from the garden hose that had sprayed blue water coloring all over the place outside and on her white outfit, her red hair had even been stained for almost three weeks and her pale skin hadn't walked away free either. Emma had been scolded and given chores for a month and grounded for three months. But what made her nearly shiver was how angry Lily had been. She had chased Emma around the house getting the blue dye all over their parents’ brand-new white carpet._

_"ROSE! YOU ARE SO DEAD LITTLE GIRL! I HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL IN A WEEK THIS WAY!" Emma knew seconds after she heard Lily screaming her middle name that she was done for. Truthfully, Emma was lucky she even made it the next year without having revenge put back at her or made it to see Hogwarts._ _She was sure Lily was going to strangle her._

_Emma had honestly done the only thing she knew she could do, she ran and hid for a whole week until Lily was gone, did the chores, cleaned up the stains as best she could and made sure everything was kept nice and clean, nothing in Lily's room was messed with._

_Emma had attempted to prank Petunia extra good when Lily had gotten back home in hopes it would make her feel better. A water bucket had gotten up onto Petunia's half open door, only it had backfired when their parents caught Emma in the process and ruined the harmless prank it was supposed to be. Petunia had been left with a scar on her hand trying to guard herself when the bucket had come down in the worst sort of way, butt first and the plastic rim of the edge had sliced her hand. How it had happened they'd never know, it just had._

_Emma had cried herself horse because she had hurt her sister and watched as Petunia not only began panicking but screaming and crying in pain because her hand had been cut deeper than they had thought. She had to get six stitches because of it, deep tissue sutures and skin sutures. They were lucky the bucket hadn't sliced any tendons or ligaments._

After that, Emma stuck to poor pranks that would never work because she had been stuck with the fear of hurting another person. Hints why none of her pranks ever worked at school, she just tagged along with the Marauders and took the detentions as they did because she enjoyed how their pranks worked, they were still funny and physically harmless, though she would walk up the next day and apologize for being a part of the pranks, mostly to students because she knew how it felt to have it happen to you and not realize that people were in fact laughing at you and not with you, that was also one of the worst feelings she had felt when she was a kid.

She had become a prankster and class clown, sort of, due to having a poorly played 'prank', played on her in first grade and had thought they were all laughing with her, when, in fact, they were laughing at her. She had gotten the nickname ‘one eyed blackjack’, because some kid had set up a homemade rock sling, put a baseball into said sling then set and aimed it at her on purpose. Why they gave her that kind of a nickname she had no idea, it didn’t even go along with her name in the first place. Then again, they were just kids, mean kids, but still children.

The baseball had hit her face first and she'd gotten a big black eye, lost three front teeth and nearly broke her nose. She had cried of course but had laughed about it the next few weeks because others were saying it was funny. She hadn’t realized at that young of an age that they were in fact laughing at her for thinking it was not only funny but because they were bullying her. They all thought she was a freak. Emma could always make something move or levitate without even flinching or touching it and had the greenest thumb in her class at the age of six. To her classmates that was weird, she had been happy when Petunia had marched her into the Dean's office of the school and lit into them about what was going on, **_"I'm acting on this now as her big sister before our parents are informed, and yes they will be informed of this! Bully's should suffer the same consciousness of their actions they do to their victims and don't you dare tell me that she is not considered a victim because she laughed with them for weeks at a time! SHE'S SIX, SHE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THIS!"_**

But Emma had been even happier when she got the letter from Hogwarts when Emma turned eleven. Bullying had clearly stopped upon her arrival at Hogwarts, besides that train incident.

Bringing her mind back to the children in front of her, staring at her with wonder and curiosity Emma smiled big and let out a calming sigh trying to get her mind off the depressing thought that she was now the last Evans of her family, she no longer had sisters to guard her or protect her, she was on her own, technically, "Is everyone done with dinner?"

"Yes, Aunt Emma," all the kids said cheerfully, even Hermione, and Emma had to smile happily at the blushing girl, "Alright, everyone in the Living room, one present, and don't worry, each of you has more than one. Harry, I will be handing you your gift. Come along kids, dishes in the sink."

Emma moved everyone into the Living room after cleaning the table of the dishes. She watched with joy as each kid grabbed one gift they wanted to open while Harry sat in the large armchair with Ron and Hermione and walked up to him with a small, gift-wrapped envelope. She couldn't help the excitement as he unwrapped it and opened the envelope, read the letter of permanent Guardianship already signed, "Y-you won? I'm yours? Really! I don't have to go back?" He shouted with excitement and jumped from the chair.

Harry hugged his Aunt, tears of pure joy rolling down his face. He had a home, a home with a loving family member, his Aunt, his Witch Aunt. Someone who knew his parents and loved them as much as he wished he had the chance to do. The only thing he somewhat found odd was that Emma thought she looked nothing like Lily when she could nearly pass as her twin as she got older, her hair and eyes were only darker than Lily's and her face was just slightly more rounded.

* * *

**January 1993**

She knew the kids were up to something, they had snuck out of the house and she found they had flooed themselves back to Hogwarts. Sitting in the armchair with a book in hand, Emma read until they came back, only problem was, Hermione was not with them. "Just a few questions, boys… Why did you go to Hogwarts near after hours but now you're back home **without** Hermione. And just to be very clear, it's nearly 2 a.m." She sat staring at the two boy's waiting for an answer as they stared back with slight fear in their eyes and mouth hanging open. "Well, I'm waiting for an answer. Or, do we have to go back to the school and search for -”

Ron and Harry felt shivers run up their spine like a snail inching its way up when the fireplace roared again, silencing their Aunt’s interrogation. The sound of heels clicking with contact of the wood floors of the Manor, what made it worse was their Aunts reaction to the person that had stepped through.

“Minerva? Whatever is the matter?" Emma asked the clearly irritated Professor. She knew that look all too well. Someone, or someone, was in very deep trouble.

_'We're done for!'_ Both boys screamed to themselves.

Emma was utterly confused as she watched the Professor walk from the Fireplace and looking rather infuriated. Emma knew that look on the Professor, because she herself and the Marauders had caused it a few times themselves, but now she really wanted to know what was going on,

"Weasley, Potter, I need a **private** word with your Aunt… Now." That tone was never good, Ron had to force himself just to choke out a response for the Professor, he knew Harry was probably too shaken to say anything at the moment, "Y-yes Ma'am,"

The boys scurried away back up the grand staircase back to their rooms. Though, they had a feeling they'd likely be sharing a room for a few nights. They had both shrank with fear and literally clung to one another when they heard Emma scream, "THEY DID WHAT!"

Harry was nearly petrified himself, he'd just gotten a family and loved his Aunt, but man when she was angry you knew it immediately, and her shout had only scared the poor boy lifeless as he gulped and choked out, "And I thought Aunt Petunia was scary when angered."


	13. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 13**

* * *

"What were you three thinking! Polyjuice Potion, Seriously! Why?" Oh yeah, she was angry. 

_'This is something Sirius and James would have done!'_ Emma huffed with thought.

Minerva was currently in the process of writing to Ron and Hermione's parents of what had happened, telling them Hermione was perfectly fine, that the only downfall of the potion when it had backfired was not endangering at all, she was simply just coughing up fur-balls at this moment. This, Emma believed that the type of tiny backfire was a fair enough punishment for her. The boys were yet again given detentions for a week, whereas Hermione was to sit in the Hospital wing to do her homework and once finished everything was taken away, she had **nothing to do** , literally.

The boys were allowed to visit her for fifteen minutes before or after their detentions. They continued talking about Draco and what they found out: The Secret Chamber, Tom Riddle and his Journal and how annoying Lockhart was. Hermione was sadly beginning to see why the boys and the staff didn't much like him as a teacher, let alone for Defense against the Dark Arts, "We really aren't learning anything." She finally admitted.

"Are they still not letting you wear the necklace Aunt Emma gave you for Christmas?" Ron asked. It was a beautiful red ribbon choker with gold embroidering of wonderfully crafted swirls all along the fabric. Ginny's was a simple silver necklace. Hermione had a feeling that the gold embroidering was embedded with protective magic like the rest of the kids got for Christmas, same for Ginny's silver necklace, they were strong and durable. You could slightly feel the magic tingle your figure tips. The boys got silver or gold rings with something significant engraved into the metal, Harry's, for example; _"May Prongs and Lily petals light your way,"_ the twins received gold engraved ring of _"Mischief,"_ for Fed, and _"Managed,"_ for George.

The poor girl was sulking because upon them removing the necklace she felt naked in some way, they had told her she couldn't wear it until she got the bandages off from around her neck. She had gotten a painful rash when the fur began to retreat back into her body, "Has your tale gone away yet?" Ron asked, poking fun at Hermione, hoping it would make her laugh. Instead it earned him a glare, but it had shorty turned into fun laughter, "Yes, for the last time, the tale is gone, Ron."

Draco sat in his common room with a sad sigh, he'd received an anonymous gift for Christmas. He had a feeling who it was from, but it had to of been impossible, because she was supposed to be dead. He stared at the engraved words on the small, circular, music box. It was obviously hand crafted and one of a kind. The words _"A light in the Darkness makes all the difference, never are you alone."_ was engraved around the rim with **_"Thy Blue-eyed child and emerald skies_** " engraved on the inside of the lid. It was his Lullaby his Aunt would sing to him as a child. Their little secret Lullaby.

He listened to the short tune and watched the tiny hand carved figures of a smiling blue-eyed boy with blond hair standing next to three small animal figurines of a snow and silver colored fox, a black dog and the wood carved Phoenix painted gold and silver. The inside of the circular lid was pained into greens for the emerald sky in the Lullaby. _'She's gotta be alive, the question is, where is she if she is? Unless she had this pre-planned.'_ He continued asking himself so many questions as the night went, he missed his Aunt. His mother had become distant, something was bothering her, and he was getting worried. His father was not his father anymore, he was colder, sterner and easily enraged. Draco was thankful he hadn't gotten violent, just verbal. Draco was even beginning to feel sympathy for the house elves, especially Dobby, but he hadn't seen the house elf in months. This started Draco on thinking what could possibly be going on and where the creature could be, hoping he wasn't dead. He had no idea Dobby was getting ready to send out a Bludger at Harry the next game they had.

**(-Okay, I know the Bludger was the first game, I forgot to put that in there previously so I'm just doing it now, even if it's out of event order, that is my fault, I do apologize for that. but hey, now you get to see Emma vs Lockhart XD-)**

**Quidditch**

The game had only started, Draco was tossing snide remark after snide remark at Harry and it was only angering the boy even more as the game went on. Wood was thankfully blocking the goals like the champ he was and doing a very fine job of it, until Marcus growled in anger, he decided to pull the same stunt he had last year but had missed Oliver by a long shot due to George flying up out of nowhere and knocking it back towards Marcus, a grin wide across his face and flew back off back into the game with his brother, "Thanks George!"

"Anytime Wood!" Oliver laughed but had near gotten knocked off his broom as something flew passed him and headed right for Harry and he felt his stomach lurch then sink in panic all at once, "POTTER!" he breathed a sigh of utter relief when Harry moved at the last possible second, the Bludger missing him by a few inches. Oliver swore Harry could have felt the wind on that one. Everyone's relief was short lived when the Bludger took a sharp turn and headed right back for the second year, "Weasleys, guard Potter!"

Everyone held their breaths as they watched. Emma held onto Mellena's and Minerva's hands as they watched, she was nearly crushing their hands, "Emma, breath. He'll be alright- Oh P-Potter look out!" Minerva shouted in panic as the Bludger narrowly missed him again, this time Fred nearly got slammed trying to hit it out of the way.

Oliver had had enough, this had gone on for five minutes, "TIME!"

The whistle blew, calling a timeout, "No! I'm fine, Fred, George I'll be fine-" 

"No way Harry, you barely got away the last ten time- WOW! See?" George said point at the retreating Bludger that had flown right between him and Harry.

"Promise, I'll be fine. We need you guys out there, not guarding me, I have the Nimbus."

"Potter, Weasleys', Wood! What are you doing?" Madam Hooch called as she flew up towards them, the Bludger was still running rampage as it flew, "I'll be fine, I can still play, we can still play." Harry quickly said, his eyes had caught the Snitch and was itching to catch it, he had to catch it. "Fine, Weasley's back to position, you're off guard."

The twins gave each other a worried look but nodded either way, "Okay," and flew off back to their position, hoping to deal with all three Bludgers, but they knew the rouge was on Harry like it was a bee to honey, it was only after him.

This was really getting bad, first Ron and Harry can't get through the Barrier at the station, almost expelled and stole Arthur’s flying car and then this?

_'What is going on around here?'_

The game took a terrible turn when Draco and Harry both started chasing the Snitch, they had a visitor. The Rogue Bludger.

Hagrid was getting worried, Ron had begun waving his wand in an attempt to get rid of the Bludger, but Hermione had thankfully stopped him, "Even with a proper wand, it's too risky, you could hit Harry!"

"Well, then what do we do now? We can't just let that thing keep chasing him, it's trying to kill him!" Ron shouted back in worry just as the rouge narrowly missed Draco, who understandable shouted in fright and covered his face from the splinters of the beams it had shattered, but in his protection of his eyes, his broom dipped just enough and headed for a small beam itself.

"DRACO!" Harry shouted.

Too late.

Harry was forced to watch the tip of Draco's 2001 hit the beam.

The impact sent Draco flying up into the air.

Harry maneuvered himself to go after Draco, he almost had a hold of his jacket until he, yet again, narrowly missed getting taken out by the rouge making Harry pulled back his arm from the rouge's path. By the time Harry was safe from it, Draco was landing in the field.

_'At least he's alive,'_ Harry thought and continued redirecting the rouge and trying to look for the Snitch again. He had let out a triumphant breath when he spotted it again and took off after it, he almost had the Snitch in his grasp but was taken by surprise, "POTTER!" Harry could have sworn he heard Draco and Oliver shouting after him, "Harry!" But it was, again, too late, the rouge had made a successful impact to his right arm.

"James!" _'Did Aunt Emma just call my dad's name?'_ He thought in confusion, the pain was nearly blinding, but he was still going after the Snitch. Hold his broken arm to his body, Harry leaned against the broom using his body as support and using his left hand to reach for the Snitch. His broom dipped and went down sending him out onto the field, but he still had the Snitch in hand. He held it high and smiled with pride, he looked up at hearing something and rolled out of the way as the rogue Bludger came slamming down at him, then sat himself upright and spread his legs as it slammed into the ground, making the poor kid gulp, _'That was far too close for comfort!'_

Emma and the others were in the farthest stadium from Harry, she had just pulled her wand from her coat pocket as the rouge was coming back down, flying head on with Harry himself, this time it was going to be a nasty impact, both Emma and Hermione had cast a spell at the same time, both spells connected with the rouge and had exploded in colors of red and orange as they all rushed to the injured boy. Emma was in a panic as she arrived at the crowded scene only to hear Hagrid's irritated voice, "Broken! There ain't no bones left!"

Her jaw nearly came unhinged as she watched Lockhart pull back Harry's arm, folding it back, she watched in terror as his arm shot forward. He was like a human stretcher! "What the bloody hell have you done to my nephew!" she raged.

"No-n-now, Miss Evans, I was simply trying to hel-" Emma had given him no time as she unleashed her wraith at the _“bouncy haired moron”_ according to Alastor. "That's a load to dragon's dung, Lockhart! Any injured person is to be taken to the Hospital wing, straight to Poppy! What were you thinking of trying to mend a bone when you clearly have no idea how to do it!" she was furious, anyone injured at the school was to go straight to Poppy for medical evaluation and attention if the injury was severe enough, that was not only school policy it should have been simple logic!

"Get up Draco... Now, boy!" Hearing Lucius speak to his own son in such a way after having been tossed like that and having that kind of landing, flying across the Quidditch field was nerve rattling enough, the boy did not need his own father humiliating him anymore than he clearly already felt, "Lucius, I think I can take it from here in escorting Mr. Malfoy to the Hospital wing, no doubt he should be evaluated after that fall." Emma almost snapped at the man. There was already a scene, there was no need to create a new one. 

Lucius's eyes narrowed on Emma, he felt a bit shaken when she barely flinched, "He's fine, Evans." He continued to forget she was no longer the eleven-year-old he could easily push around. She was a grown woman who had in just about every way, lost everything. He'd heard a saying that when you get in between a mother and her child you better prepare to suffer their wraith or die. And when it came to Emma and the children she called nieces and nephews she was almost like any other mother, and he had found that his own son was placed in her category as family.

Emma took a deep breath to calm herself, Lucius was Draco's father, but he was not a teacher here at the school, and by school policy she, and any other Professor, could get into a lot of trouble if they did not enforce the Quidditch players to get checked after the games to catch any injuries, no matter how little they were, "School policy, Lucius. Draco, come along, please." Emma walked away from Lucius, fire burning in her eyes as Hagrid helped Harry up and the three, plus Ron and Hermione, walked the two boys to the Hospital wing. Unfortunately, it was so quiet it was bothering them all, that was until Draco spoke up, a look of humiliation, "Thanks, for trying to catch me, Potter."

"Is that why your dad was so angry then?" Ron asked in confusion, he was only graced with a nod and all three kids were stunned as he admitted to it.

"You're welcome, I never thought it would have been right to have just let you fall like that without at least trying. Though I did miss. Sorry about that by the way."

Draco had simply shrugged, "Doesn't matter, had I been in your shoes, I'd probably let you fall to be honest. Now, I can't exactly say as much."

"Well, hopefully you learned a life lesson from that though, even if someone is not a friend you should still try to help them if they're in dire need of it. Now, I really say that loosely simply because people can, and will, take advantage of that part of you. But, keep that in mind when you're on the Quidditch field or going through life. Stand up for yourself and those who can’t for themselves. There's nothing wrong with trying and failing, because you learn from it. You don't exactly learn from trying and winning on the first try, do you?" Emma smiled at the three second years as they all shook their heads. She opened the doors to the Hospital wing with a heavy sigh, "Emma, back again I see, what is it this time? Oh, Quidditch, Potter what happened?"

All three kids and Emma glanced to one another before rolling their eyes and grumbling all in unison, "Lockhart,"

"Ooh, for Merlin's sake! That man is beginning to drive me mad! Come on, both of you let's have a look."

* * *

**April**

The three friends had taken to going back to figuring out things involving the chamber, the Journal had been stolen and Harry was in major assumption that Hagrid either knew who opened the chamber or was the one to do the deed, "Why don't we just ask him?" Hermione said rolling her eyes, _'They are ridiculous! Hagrid opening the Chamber of Secret? Hagrid was the Heir of Slytherin? This is just crazy- they are crazy!'_

"Oh really, what are we supposed to say, _"Hello Hagrid, let anything made and Hairy loose in the castle lately?"”_ Ron sarcastically said, a roll of his own eyes while Hermione just glared. She suddenly stiffened and jumped, and her eyes had gone wide at something, someone, behind him and Harry, "Mad and Hairy? Wouldn't be talkin' 'bout me now would ya?" Hagrid asked with a joke, but his laughter had quickly died when he saw how tense they were, "No," the three said in unison, all three looking as if they had been caught doing something they weren't supposed to be. "Hm," _'They're up to somethin' again,'_ Hagrid knew when they were up to something, and it never turned out good in their favors, "Every'hing alrigh' 'here?"

"Y-yeah, everything's fine," Hermione piped up, a big smile on her face, _'Yep, somethin' is defian'ly goin' on here. Time to involve Emma, again. Why do these three always remind me of those crazy boys she'd always be 'round?'_

Hagrid sighed and nodded, he'd inform Emma as soon as he could, but he had work that needed to be done, and he was shorthanded for this amount of work, "Anyways I bes' be off, have work that needs done, and Klay is .. well, he's on important business... 'ave a nice day." With that, Hagrid was off and back towards his home. 

The three of them to that day still had not met this Klay person who was supposed to be helping Hagrid. This made them all wonder if he was made up or of this person was on a second job? Maybe his boss? Less likely to the last one, Hagrid was far to particular when it came to his creatures care.

* * *

**3 days later**

Hermione huffed and puffed, "The boys are crazy Professor Fox, they think Hagrid opened the chamber, Harry is so certain of it. The Diary Harry found this information from had a name, uh, Thomas, no, Tommy, Tom. That's it, Tom… Riddler?" Hermione was unsure of the last name really, but she was very sure of the first name. The name, however, still didn’t sound right.

Emma froze when she heard the name, her throat was painfully swollen, that name would forever haunt her, along with one other name, Voldemort, "Tom Riddle?" She quickly rushed from the bookshelf she was at putting away books with the young Witch, but her eyes found Ginny and it worried her. Emma noticed that the girl’s eyes were void of anything, showing she wasn’t present in the moment. Before Emma had a chance to say anything, a bright flash blinded her and knocked her unconscious, leaving Hermione defenseless with just a mirror.

"Yes, that's it, he apparently got an award about 50 years ago or so, extraordinary acts for the School or something, I can't remember what Ron really said. My mind is just so cluttered right now it's ridiculous, I have no idea how to get Harry's mind free of accusing Hagrid of this. Any suggestions Emma? Wait, why don’t you just talk to him, he listens to you!" She smiled with success when she found a book and started looking through it. A few pages describing a creature that could kill by looking it in the eyes, "The Basilisk- Professor Fox, I think I figured it out!" At the silence she had gotten back, fear set in. Hermione clutched the paper up in her hand into a ball, hiding it from anyone that could be there and grabbed the mirror. Hermione had no idea that the only people in the Library currently conscious was herself and whatever or whoever was possessing Ginny Weasley, "Professor? A-are you okay?... Emma?" She had only been able to go wide eyed and gasped with fear as a flash blinded her through her mirror. It was lights out for Hermione Granger.

* * *

**Quidditch**

"This match has been cancelled," McGonagall announced, walking swiftly towards the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. 

Oliver laughed a bit at Professor McGonagall, "You can't cancel Quidditch!" He froze the second she turned a stern glare on him. 

"Silence, Wood. Escort your team back up to Gryffindor Tower, now. Potter, you and I will find Mr. Weasley, there is something the two of you **must** see."

Minutes later, the three rushed into the Hospital wing, this was the last thing McGonagall wanted to do, she had only seen Emma in a hospital bed like this twice, maybe three times, and each time she was near death. Worst of all, a student was lying in a bed next to her petrified.

Hermione was in a worse state than Emma was, and she was a well-trained Witch! "We found them in the Library, Miss. Granger was unfortunately petrified. Emma was cast unconscious. I had no choice but to inform the both of you."

The two boys stopped in mid-step as their eyes found a petrified Hermione. Her eyes wide open and filled with fear and shock.

Harry felt his stomach drop farther than he'd ever thought it could as he stared at a wide eyed frightened Hermione Granger; one of his best friends. But what made him nearly vomit in panic and fear was the body he found next to Hermione's. His Aunt, the last of his real family, someone who had fought tooth and nail, fire and brimstone, to get him back home, their real home, "Ro-Ron? Look." He said pointing past their dear friend.

Ron had sat on the bedside edge of Hermione's bed, he couldn't look away from her, no matter how frightened he was for her, what she had likely experienced was something he never thought she'd have to go through, but it was Harry's shaking voice had brought him to witness something he never wanted to see again, his mind had gone right back to the hospital when she was in a coma. Ron had looked to the next bed and felt his lunch threatening to come up when he found their Aunt, once again, unconscious and barely looked as if she were breathing, "Hermione?... and Auntie Emma. W-what happened to them?"

_'First Hermione, now Auntie Emma! What happened?'_


	14. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 14**

* * *

The boys spent two days visiting Hermione and Emma.

Ron had fallen asleep in a chair between the two.

Poppy had simply left Ron as he was. Smiling at memories of the past of many others doing the same for their dear friends.

Harry sat with a sigh next to Hermione and held onto her hand, hoping with just about everything he had that this was a nightmare that he couldn't wake up from, "We could really use your help Hermione," To his shock, Harry had been given an answer that Hermione had hidden crumpled in her hand, he found a ball of paper. His breath caught as he smoothed it open and began reading, "Ron, I think we have the answers we've been looking- Ron, wake up." Harry bit back a laugh as he watched his red-haired friend jump in panic from the chair and looked around, hand at wands ready then looked at Harry and relaxed as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "What is it? What's that?"

"I think this is why Hermione was in the Library a few nights ago, come on."

The two boys were in mid-speed walk as Harry read the piece of paper ripped from a book, "Spiders flee before it- Ron, this all makes sense, it's a snake, that's why I can hear it, unfortunately. But it all makes sense now. Come on, we have to go to Hagrid's, maybe he knows something."

Ron sighed thinking, _'Not this again,'_ "Harry, you are not going to accuse him of anything are you?"

Confused at first, Harry sighed and shook his head, "No, we just need to talk to him. To see if he knows anything about this creature, he loves creatures, maybe he had a snake while he was here, and it got away from him and happened to find the chamber?"

"Okay, then how has it been getting around then?" Harry knew Ron was trying to get them out of this. He knew Ron would hate to get another detention. He hated them too. But Hermione and Emma had been attacked along with other students. Showing Ron the bottom edge of the paper, a simple word written in Hermione's quick handwriting, "Pipes! It's using the plumbing! That ridicules, the school can't possibly have a plumbing system that big…. Can it?"

He had a good point, but Harry didn't have any clue.

"The school's been on these ground for thousands of years you nitwit, of course it has plumbing that big, what's going on- Granger figured it out then?"

The boys jumped and shouted a bit in fright when a familiar voice came from next to them. They looked at one another in curiosity and suspicion as Draco stood there looking at them like they were stupid.

"Well, is someone going to answer me?" Draco questioned. He was actually curious.

Feeling defensive on Hermione’s behalf, Ron gave the Malfoy boy a glare, "Why do you care if Hermione figured it out, Malfoy. You're the one that said ‘Mud-Bloods were next’ and you insulted her not even four months ago. Why are you heading towards the Hospital wing anyways, no one's in there that means anything to you." Ron said with a pointed glare. Ron had a point, Draco had not only said those things, he'd also hoped Granger was next. Yet when he had heard she had been attacked, Draco hadn’t felt any better about himself nor his wishes, in fact he'd felt horrible and disgusting, he’d even been having nightmares the last few nights.

They watched Draco looked away, a look of self-hatred and disappointment was clear on his face, "Not really. Just a few people I know. But anyways, the Chamber's been hidden for years, they're just rumors. If there is a chamber somewhere here, then it's in rubble more likely. Salazar Slytherin's chamber was discovered once, apparently, and after it was resealed it vanished, even if you find it, it probably won't be intact. Everyone always thought it was in the Slytherin Common room or in Salazar's office, which neither is true. No one knows where it is because it was moved thousands of years ago. Hints why the beast could have gotten out because the sealed door must have been destroyed. It's probably been wandering around under the school where it could, or it's just dead. No food for over a thousand years, I doubt the thing is alive. Which means-"

Ron and Harry sighed as they caught on, "A person is attacking the school and students." They really didn't like this now. One of their own classmates, younger or older, or an intruder, was attacking the students. Now the question was, who was it?

"Where are you two going anyways? It's almost after hours? I could turn you both into Professor Snape or McGonagall if I so pleased-" 

"Where is she! I have a few words I need to have with that woman!" a man’s enraged shouts soared through the halls of the school, startling the boys.

"Cornelius, she is unconscious! She can't even speak to you! However, I'm very certain if she could she'd have a few choice words in store for the likes of you!" Minerva growled, rushing down the hall with the Minister of Magic.

Draco and Ron both gasped in fright as they realized who the voices belonged to, it was Fudge and Professor McGonagall, "Go, the door, behind you." Draco tried ushering the two boys, but Harry had looked at the two second year classmates with confusion and opened his mouth to question as to what the heck was going on. Though, he'd been silenced quickly by Draco giving him a stern and frightened look as he pushed him and Ron towards the cleaning closet with a slight scolding, "Oh shut up Potter and go." Just as Fudge rushed down the hall with Minerva following close behind, an angered look set on her aging face.

She had been in her office when she heard Fudge walking by in an angry hurry demanding to speak with Emma.

"Oh, please Minerva, the woman constantly believes she has a spine! I'm not going to be made a fool by the likes of her! Emma was lucky she was even granted custody of that boy!" He growled, his feet heavily slapping the stone floor.

"You did **not** grant that girl custody of her nephew, Fudge. Children's Services and Magical Affairs did! No thanks to the likes of you, though I'm under the strong, and very distasteful, accusation that had it truly been up to you for a final decision upon the granted custody, Emma never would have gotten that boy, and you have only made the lives of those two more stressful and miserable over the last eight years! You gave that poor child no reason as to why her request for her nephews return into her care when she woke up. You’ve caused nothing but destruction and disaster! Don't you dare walk away from me Cornelius Fudge I AM NOT DONE TALKING TO YOU!" Minerva shouted after Fudge, anger boiling from her skin's pores as Cornelius busted through the Hospital wing door shouting, "Emma Evans! I need a word with you- Oh my… Is she dead?"

Poppy had been sitting at her station with Pomona making potions mixtures up for those Petrified and Ghost Sir Nicholas but had been interrupted by the doors flying open with a load clatter making the two women jump with fright and nearly gave poor Professor Sprout a heart attack.

"Cornelius Fudge! She is most certainly **not** dead. Get out of my wing this instant! Especially if you insist to scream and shout like a Banshee to one of my patience! I not only have overnight injuries to be concerned about, but I have thirteen children petrified that myself and Pomona are trying to help and you storming my Hospital wing just to have a shouting match with an unconscious woman in my care is not only foolish, but entirely ridiculous! NOW OUT!" This had been successful in making Fudge flee the wing as Poppy chased him off, red in the face and over angry, "That man has some nerve! Minerva are you ever alright?" Her anger subsided upon turning to an emotional McGonagall.

The three boys hadn't heard why McGonagall was so upset, the poor woman was crying behind closed doors in the arms of Madam Pomfrey, who was trying to comfort the emotional Witch, "Maybe we should go ahead and just go to H-Hagrid's, right Harry?" Ron said with a gulp, he'd never hear Pomfrey so angry before, dare say he'd definitely never seen McGonagall in such a state either.

Harry had ignored the suggestion. He wanted to know who that Wizard was and why he was so angry with his aunt, "What's going on Ron? Who was that man?" But it was Draco that beat the red head to the answer, "Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic."

"My dad's boss," Ron cleared up Harry's confusion, which thankfully worked.

"We’ll find out why he's angry with Aunt Emma later, come on, we gotta get to Hagrid's." And they were rushing off down the halls.

Draco on their heels, he didn't know why, but he was tired of being the cruel Malfoy boy or Lucius Jr., but the words had flown from his mouth before he could stop himself, "Can I come with you?" He'd panicked when Harry and Ron stopped dead in their run and turned to face him, both of their jaw's hanging open in shock.

"I won't turn you in, promise, I just-"

"No offence Malfoy-" 

"Sure, but if you turn on us, there's no second chances. Rivalry on the field I'll understand, but no more mud-blood stuff, got it?"

Ron was staring at his best friend with shock. 

_'Did he really just say "yes" to Draco Malfoy tagging along with us! Has he gone mental!'_ Ron was stunned! "Harry!"

"Ron, he could have turned us in back there and gotten a detention himself in the process, he could have said we were planning to find the chamber, told the Professors we were up to something, but he didn't." Harry clarified. It was true. But he also wanted to see the good in people, and he knew he saw good in Draco.

"Yeah, because the kid's a- Malfoy?" Ron stopped in his tracks when he'd found Draco missing, he and Harry looked around them, eyes wide in curiosity. Draco was not only gone but they hadn't even seen the kid walk away, nor heard him, he was quiet and hadn't even said a thing as he left. They were beyond the term of shocked. Draco had always been a loudmouth, stuck up, snide git and he'd vanished right in front of them. Granted, they hadn't been paying attention, but he hadn't said a single word and left, just like that. "Wonder where he went?"

"Maybe to the boys' bathroom to cry in peace." Harry tossed at him, a bit of a stern expression on his face.

"Don't start that, Harry. The kid even said he wanted Hermione to be next, well look what happened, maybe he is the Heir of Slytherin and was just trying to bait us!"

McGonagall's voice sounded throughout the school making an announcement, "All student report back to house Common rooms immediately!" The boys sighed in defeat and walked back to the Gryffindor Tower and waited as McGonagall arrived and announced the new rules that were put in place for their safety.

"We have to see Hagrid," Harry had had enough. He was going to stop this!

"But you heard McGonagall, no students are to be out of the Common rooms without a teacher except for classes." Ron said to him in shock, if they had put these rules in place for their safety now, then it just meant it had officially become a very life-threatening situation for students and staff alike.

"Guess we'll just have to get my dad's cloak out then. Come on."

The walk down to Hagrid's was a bit of a difficult one, the cloak was over both boys, the cloak seemed to be what was causing a bit of the issue. Ron kept tripping and Harry had nearly fallen down the steps towards Hagrid's. They had sighed in relief when they approached their tall friends hut and knocked.

They nearly panicked when Hagrid found no one at the door and held the crossbow closely to his body, ready for anything. He'd released a breath of relief when the boys pulled the cloak off them and had stared at him a slight fright when they looked at the crossbow.

"What's that for!" Ron exclaimed with fear.

"Huh? Oh, uh, nothin', come on, inside the both o' ya. Hurry. Now, what on earth are ya two doin' out here at this hour? Huh?"

"We have to ask you… About the Chamber of Secrets, do you know who opened it?" Harry had jumped right to it, leaving Ron with a sigh and a bit of a shake of his head.

Hagrid's reaction had woken him up quickly when the giant man took in a breath of fright and looked ready to defend himself verbally, "Now, you two bet'er listen here. Ya don't understand wha'-" He'd been interrupted by a harsh knock on his door, "The cloak, quickly, put the cloak on… Be with ya in a moment!" Hagrid called, stalling for the boys. Grabbing his crossbow again he opened the door once they were covered, crossbow ready at the aim, yet had jumped a little when he found Dumbledore and Fudge standing at his door, he'd immediately put the crossbow down, "Terribly sorry, can't be too careful with everythin’ goin’ on this year. How may I help ya Minister, Professor?"

"May we?”

"Oh, oh yes, yes most definitely, sorry." Hagrid shuffled aside letting the two into his home, but what the two boys found made them panic more. Hagrid was being taken. Arrested more like it and put into Azkaban. They found their hearts dropping to their stomachs when Lucius Malfoy arrived at Hagrid's door and handed Dumbledore Request of Absence paper!

"With Dumbledore gone there will be an attack a day! The muggle borns’ won't stand a chance without him here!" Hagrid tried defending the man that had not only saved him a life of hardship and cruel treatment but had given him a home here at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore calmly took the papers with his head held high and a knowing smile, "If anyone ever needs help here at this school, all they must do, is ask for it." Dumbledore said, a pointed look towards the two boys.

This left the two boys in shock and wonder did he know they were there without seeing them?

"Come along Hagrid," Fudge calmly said, walking back towards the door to leave.

"If, uh, if anyone was ever looking for somethin’, all they have ta do is to follow the spiders. Yep, follow the spiders. Uh, um, someone will have to feed Fang and Mal while I'm away. Minister." Hagrid said walking past Fudge who has looked at both Fang and Mal then shivered a bit, "Good boys," and walked out with Hagrid.

As the door closed, the boys pulled the cloak off, panic on both their faces, "Hagrid's right- wait, are those spiders?" Ron asked pointing to a long line of spiders leaving the hut and heading back outside. _‘Oh, the irony, can I wake up now?’_ Ron wished to himself this being a nightmare.

Harry rushed from the hut, lantern in hand, "Come on Fang, Mal? Are you coming?" Harry called for the dogs.

Fang had followed after the boy, while Mal laid back on the rug and went back to sleep. Fang and Harry heading for the Dark Forest with Ron in near panic rushing after his friend to stop him, "Harry, where are you going?"

"You heard what Hagrid said, follow the Spiders,"

"But they’re heading into the Forest! You're crazy!"

"Ron, we don't have everything together, we still have pieces missing, if we can figure this out, then we can tell the Professors and they can handle the problem. Our classmates, our Aunt, has been attacked! I've had enough just pretending to do something when we really haven't done anything, Hermione has done all the work really. She gave us the answers, now all we have to do is piece it all together. Are you with me or are you going to leave me to the forest on my own?"

Ron groaned, Harry did have a point, and at this moment, he hated to admit that he actually wished Malfoy had come with them. "Fine, let's go,"

* * *

Their way into the forest wasn't difficult at all, but they had nearly had an aneurysm when large Spiders came into view. Well, Ron nearly had an aneurysm, Harry was shaking in his shoes, both nearly passed out when the Leader, Aragog, had come out from the shadows and held a conversation with them.

"So, the thing that killed that girl in the bathroom, it wasn't you? Was it-"

"We do not speak of it! The girl was discovered in a bathroom, yes, but I never left the place Hagrid kept me in. I saw nothing but the books that Hagrid had placed me within a trunk. Then, when I was accused, Hagrid brought me here."

During the time of Harry speaking with the large and terrifying spider, Ron had the chance to look around, and to his horror, he looked found several spiders slowly surrounding them, blocking off any way of escape, “Harry," Ron whimpered, he’d been shushed by Harry and continued his conversation with the Spider leaving Ron a shivering mess as he looked around them with spiders closing in, he very much disliked spiders as it was. This just petrified him.- Pun not included.- 

Ron nearly peed himself as he looked up and found more slowly crawling down on their silk webs, "H-Harry?" Ron whimpered. He was shaking in his shoes with terror as he continued to stare up at the spiders.

Annoyed he and Aarogog were being interrupted by Ron’s whimpering, Harry huffed and turned to his shivering friend, "What!" 

Ron hadn't been able to say a word, all he could muster up was to point upward and had been thankful when he too panicked a bit, both boys and Fang backing away from the closing in spiders, "RUN!"

"Where's Hermione when you need her!" Ron screamed as they ran.

"Where's Malfoy when we **_could_** have used him!" Harry tossed back.

"Not this bloody mess again! Harry, the git is a Sl-AHH!" 

They both screamed in fright as three spiders jumped in front of them, they had nowhere to go, they were once again surrounded. Fang was beside himself and cowering behind the two shivering boys, though that action in itself was useless.

They hadn't expected a car to be rushing through the mass of Spiders towards them, causing the nest of Spiders to run for safety from the noisy creation that lit the darkness and trying to run them over. But it was the smiling blond that was in the driver's seat with a grin and the dark brown dog, Mal, sitting in the back seat simply resting there like it was nothing to him, "Need a ride?"

Their jaws seemed to have a thing with dropping whenever Draco had done something for them instead of against them in his snide and bullying way.

Harry had to say he wanted to laugh when Ron shouted at him, "Draco! What the bloody hell are you doin' here!"

"Shut up and get in! I guess I'm glad I followed you two, otherwise you'd be Spider food. Weasley, can you fly this thing?"

Harry nearly laughed at the change in both of them at one another, as they all shuffled into the car as quickly as they could, "Of course I can fly it Malfoy, now move over! My dad's car, I drive!"

"Fair enough, hey Fang. Mal, Move over will ya." And they were off.

Malfoy shouted when a Spider landed on the roof, denting the metal inward, "What does that Gamekeeper feed these things!"

"No idea!" Ron screamed.

"Come on, get us in the air Ron!" Harry panicked.

"I'm trying, but the flying gears jammed!" Ron screamed, panic clear on his face.

Harry turned to look at Draco, both gave one another a look of sheer panic and both leapt to help the redhead, it took all three of them to unjam the gear and help Ron shift the gears. 

They were in the air in seconds. 

The boys had been lucky that time. They flew for a few minutes to shake off the spiders from coming out after them at Hagrid's hut. Landing in front of Hagrid's door to drop off the two dogs, Ron leapt from the car and began ranting in anger, "Follow the spiders, he says! Follow the Spiders **you** said! Follow them we did! If Hagrid **ever** gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill 'im!"

"But Aragog did help us piece together the last bit of the puzzle we weren't thinking of." Harry pointed out calmly. 

Draco was leaning against the car with a grin, he was ironically enjoying this.

Still very much annoyed they had been nearly turned into spider minced meat, Ron huffed as he glared at his best friend. "Oh really! And what, pray tell, is that!" Ron shouted, still shaking in fear.

"The girl that died 50 years ago, what if she never left?" Harry asked. 

Draco was confused now, "Wait, you mean Moaning Myrtle was the girl that was killed by that thing?"

Shrugging at the possibility Harry sighed, unsure of it himself, it was just an obvious question. "Probably, she's the only young ghost her age here and she's in the bathroom, she hasn't left." Harry clarified. It was just a hunch after all.

"Harry, one other problem. If that Snake kills by looking others in the eyes, how is it that **no one** is dead?" Ron asked a fair question. 

Draco was nodding his head, backing up the young Weasley. "He has a point, Potter."

"Hermione had the Mirror, no one directly looked it in the eyes, that's why. Colin saw it through his camera… And Justin-" 

"Most likely saw him through Nick- he's a ghost so Nick got the full blast probably… Sorry." Draco added. He was catching on to what Harry was thinking

Harry and Ron stared at the Slytherin boy in shock. He had saved them from the Spiders and was still standing there actually making sense involving this piece of information, that, and he'd said ‘sorry’ with a bit of a pink blush, like he was embarrassed for making sense and trying to help them.

Ron had shaken himself from his shock when another thought hit him, "What about Mrs. Norris, I'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera or a mirror." Ron was trying to make this sound ridiculous. He and Harry had nearly been killed several times as it was, even from last year when he had been knocked unconscious during the large Wizards chess they had to play to get to the stone!

This one had stumped Harry for a bit as they walked back up to the school, and the possible answer hadn't hit him until they were all walking through the halls, "The water, there was water on the floor that night, when we found the journal and Mrs. Norris. She must have seen it's reflection."

Ron sighed with irritation and looked at Draco with an annoyed huff, "I swear, it's like he always has an answer for everything!"

"He has a point though Weasley, the water would have done the same thing as the mirror and camera, if Justin can get petrified by seeing it through Nick, why can't the water have the same outcome for Mrs. Norris?"

"Thank you." Harry said with a huff at Ron, both boys glaring at one another. Draco really had to laugh at the two of them, this was hilarious!

"Come on," Draco had an idea though. Running down a different hall, already after curfew Draco knew they could not be caught. He knew that if Harry wouldn't do it tonight, he'd to it in the morning, and Draco wanted to be around to hear this story.

"Malfoy, where are you going!" Ron shouted after him, the two seemed to have a bit of an issue keeping up with him as they rushed down the halls, all stopping in front of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Draco smiled wide while Ron and Harry seemed to have a difficult time readjusting to this new Draco.

Ron thought it was a game he was playing on them, a rotten Malfoy trick to get them to fess up more than they already had and either get them all caught on purpose or to try to take the credit afterwards, while Harry had no idea how to take this side of Draco.

"Well, are you two coming or not?" He questioned their pause and confusion as he walked into the bathroom.

They spent the next fifteen minutes talking with Myrtle, and Draco was actually feeling sorry for the girl, muggle-born or not. No one should have to look at something so frightening at her young age and then be killed seconds afterwards simply because she looked at the Basilisk and the person who had opened the Chamber.

"Did you see who opened it?" Draco finally asked when she finished.

"No, I just saw big, yellow eyes, over there, by that sink." She said with distastefulness as she pointed to a specific sink in her bathroom.

The three boys looked at one another, eyebrows raised in curiosity. They watched Harry move to it and found the Slytherin symbol on the side of the spout.

Draco reached over and tried turning the water on and shared the same confused look with Harry and Ron, "I think you just found the entrance Potter." Draco hadn't been rude or snide, he hadn’t tried anything at all, not once. Not even when they had nearly been caught on their way back to their Common rooms.

"Hey, Malfoy… Uh, um… Thanks, for savin' us back in the forest." Ron said to the blond with a defeated sigh. He'd felt better about their parting that night though, especially when Draco had smiled wide, a real smile, a happy one.

He hadn't grinned wickedly at them at all, hadn't tried tricking them and had been up front and honest. "Not a problem, Weasley. And just so ya know, I'm really not as bad when I'm in better company. I think I've realized that maybe I'm the one that needs to find better company than the ones I've been surrounded with. It's what my Aunt would have wanted anyways, and my mum. They never really cared much for the people my father has around. Then again, my father and Aunt never did get along very well either. Guess I'm just trying to keep her memory alive and find real friends." Draco admitted, he didn't really mind Crabbe and Goyle, but something was just weird with those two. He had been drawn to wanting to be friends with Harry when school had started, but when he had thought of it, he had a suspicion it was only because Harry was **_'The famous Harry Potter, the Boy who lived!'_** He thought it was awesome if he'd have been friends with him. Then he’d been rejected, and he hated being rejected. But it only continued getting worse when he and the other two started bullying him and Ron, then Hermione later one, after that the numbers just began to add up. Every time Draco had thought of having a real friend, what it would be like, he thought of that crazy moment he and Harry had when they talked about their Aunt’s then about Harry’s parents and Professor Blue. It was weird for him to admit that he, Draco Malfoy, wanted a friend that was honest with him, put him in check, someone that wasn't afraid of him. Someone that, unfortunately, wasn't in Slytherin. 

And it always came back to the golden trio. Ron, Harry, and Hermione. They weren’t afraid of him, they had put him back in check and stood their ground against him.

He wished he could have called the two boys he was always hanging around his friends, though deep down he knew they weren't really, and it understandably bothered him. He wanted a friend like his Aunt used to tell him about in her stories. Yes, he understood the difference between a story and real life, but he was a kid that only had two happy memories of someone actually loving him, caring for him, those two were his mother and Aunt. He wanted, needed, someone to call friend, someone that would be honest and not lie to him, someone that would look at him and stand beside him like a friend. Crabbe and Goyle only stood behind him with their arms crossed, smiling with their grins that said they had power backing them up. Because, face it, no one messed with Malfoy. His father loved him, Draco knew that, but he had been acting so strange lately and it was scaring him. Draco had only his mother and Aunt. Now, it was only his mother, and she was at home, while Draco was alone at school, and he was tired of it.

His Aunt Mira had always told him he was a sweet boy when he wanted to be, kind and caring, a gentle person, but that watching his father do as he wished and acted as he did had Draco turning around and trying to act exactly the same, she had told Draco that acting in such a way could possibly get him into a lot of trouble one day. She worried for him. She had told him that deep down his father was the same as him, kind and caring. But Lucius was scared of something, something that was trouble. He knew his Aunt wasn't trying to frighten him when she wrote her last letter to him. But she had been right, Draco had acted arrogant his first year, had also done the same just about the entirety of this year as well, and it had cost him a possibility of any friends, he just hoped he could right his wrongs.

Even at his age, he could be smart at catching onto things, especially his own wrongs. His family was old fashioned in the Wizarding world, he was taught to act a certain way, do certain things, be cruel and harsh to others that were 'below' his station. Now, he was finding it to be a load of dung. However, by him doing all these things he had been told and taught to do had in fact done the opposite. 

It made him feel lower than what he was told he was, and that was supposed to be a proud pure-blood, one of the richest and most renowned and powerful Wizarding families through the ages. But he didn't, he had no real friends, only his mother who seemed to be willing to show him any sign of love, but he felt even she was being restricted to things. His father had locked her away in the Malfoy Manor. Draco would have been lucky to have gotten at least three letters from his own mother that year due to her being homebound, forbidden from writing anyone. Her wand had been confiscated from her, via his father. He just wished he knew what was going on.

Harry and Ron had stood there, they watched the Slytherin classmate, Draco Malfoy, not only smile at them, but a smile filled with hope and loneliness. Even Ron's stomach tightened up as he watched the kid’s lonely thoughts ran through his head. It made the two Gryffindor's wonder, what was going on with him and who he really was. He was first of all Draco Malfoy; Low git and bully of Slytherin, extreme rival to Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. But the kid they saw staring at them, was Draco Malfoy; Lonely Slytherin, a young boy in pain of a friend, a boy who was scared of being alone and had no idea who he wanted to be vs. who he was being told to be.

"H-hey, we're going out to Hagrid's tomorrow to look after Fang and Mal, wanna come along?" Ron had shocked both Draco and Harry when he'd invited the young Malfoy out with them, but Harry had smiled with pride at Ron.

Draco had smiled wider with happiness and nodded with excitement and acceptance to their invite.

"We'll meet ya in the Dining hall then. Since no one's able to look after his creatures Harry and Hermione and I normally do, before and after class, between them if we have time. You think you're up for that?" Ron stated with a wide smile.

"Yeah, Dining Hall, morning, Hagrid's for creatures, got it."

"Okay, see ya then, Malfoy."

"Ye-yeah."

And the three had split for the night.

Draco had gone to his Common room with a happy smile and feeling pretty good, but his happiness hadn't lasted long when he walked to his dorm room and found Crabbe and Goyle still up looking at him like he had three heads, "Where were you!"

"Uh, out… Why?"

"Draco," The stern voice had made him shrink, the owner of the voice didn't sound happy one bit.

Lucius Malfoy stood with a look a strong disdain on his face as he glared at his son.

Draco took a deep breath to steady himself before he faced him and replied back with equal dislike, "Father."


	15. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 15**

* * *

Malfoy bounded into the Dining Hall alone with a sprint of excitement, even after the encounter Draco had with his father, he was still excited about spending the day with Ron and Harry. He had been leaving Emma and Hermione small sets of wild Daisy's on their stands next to their beds over the couple of times he’d snuck in to visit them both.

Emma had yet to awaken, and something didn't feel right about her still being unconscious. It felt… Magical? 

_'A curse maybe?'_ Draco may share his thoughts about their Aunt’s condition later. Draco watched the Gryffindor table grow silent as he walked towards Harry and Ron, he’d grown a tad bit uncomfortable when Ginny Weasley sent him a strange, and judgmental, look. Like the rest of the Gryffindor table. Ginny thankfully went back to writing in her journal, though Draco would silently admitted to himself that the journal shockingly looked familiar. Draco just couldn't think of where from. He felt the eyes of all the other tables looking in shock and excitement, thinking he was possibly going to hex or jinx someone again. The discomforted had won over and Draco walked past Ron and Harry, back towards the Slytherin table.

"Hey, Malfoy! You walked past us, what happened to Hagrid's today?"

Draco smiled happily as soon as Ron shouted out for him, standing on the seats, waving him back over. They hadn't ignored him. He'd just walked past them silently to not disturb them.

When Fred and George started going on about “crazy Malfoy's,” Harry and Ron had looked around for Draco and found him walking away, head bowed low, like he'd just been completely humiliated.

"Well, come on, breakfast is nearly done." Harry joined in, leaving the entire room full of shocked faces and wide eyes while Draco took a seat next to them at their table and enjoyed breakfast.

"Ron, Harry," 

"May we have a word with you?" 

The twin said, staring at the three, they looked like they were seeing ten Ron's and Harry had turned into a girl over-night. "We have somewhere to be, maybe later, are you two finished?" Ron said looking at two smiling and filled boys.

Draco and Harry had nodded, and they moved to leave, "I have something I need to tell you two on the way."

They were off, out the Castle and heading for Hagrid's as Draco explained everything to them when the three went off to bed.

"So, your dad shows up in your common room last night, tells you to stay away from us, then tells you that your cousin, Finn, is moving in with you and transferring to Hogwarts for next year? Why, may I ask- Hey, is that a cut on your lip?” Ron questioned mid-way through his recap on what Draco had just informed them of. 

Upon not having a response to Ron’s concern, both Gryffindor boys knew something had happened last night, more than what the blond Slytherin boy was telling them. And Ron was determined to find out what had happened. “Draco!" Ron shouted, obviously irritated. He and Harry grabbed the kid by his robed arm, stopping him.

Draco hadn't looked at them directly the entire time he'd been with them that morning and they were just now noticing this! But they had hopped it was a trick of the light.

Sadly, when he had finally turned to face them, they saw that it was in fact a busted lip. Not a nasty one, but still it was a busted lip none-the-less. Both boys stared at him in shock and horror, "Did your father hit you last night!" Ron had beat Harry to the punch to that one.

Unfortunately, when Draco hadn't responded, Harry saw Ron’s seething and took matters into his own hands, "Alright, Ron. Calm down, Hagrid has ointment in his cupboards, we can use a little of it for Draco when we get down there. It doesn't look that bad thankfully. Come on, the animals are probably starving about now." Draco had given Harry a thankful look for turning the conversation into a different direction.

But even though Ron had hated the boy for their first year and a half, he knew that no child should be backhanded like that unless having a bit of a wake-up call. A small tap, or pop, to the mouth is one thing, but a full on contact that Draco had been given was just a bit of an extent... Right? Correction was one thing, drawing blood was another story in total. Ron huffed with a nod, he'd leave it alone for now, but Draco was not getting off so easily. He would be giving answers later as to why he's father found it necessary to cause that, and he hoped that Draco's father hadn't truly meant to do it and felt like a complete piece of dragon's dung afterwards, or to see if Draco had deserved the back hand and the bloody lip had simply been an unfortunate outcome. 

But he was hoping, and there was nothing wrong with that.

Their time spent at Hagrid's was feeding the animals', cleaning up after themselves, and the animals. They had decided to try to go back in the afternoon and after classes were over to try to help the garden later on. 

After finishing, Draco recleaned his lip and reapplied the ointment to the burning cut. As small as it was, it still stung. He sighed knowing Crabbe and Goyle probably felt very powerless last night and even more so now because he hadn't said a word to them at all that morning. Even when Crabbe had asked him if he was alright, Draco had just nodded and got ready for the day. He could imagine that Goyle was glaring at him, felt the glares burning into the back of his head, with the entire Slytherin table staring on in horror as Draco ate breakfast with the Gryffindor's.

"So, why is it such a big deal that your cousin Finn in moving in with you guys?" Harry asked, he was just as curious as Ron. However, Ron had to admit, he was glad Harry asked because of how infuriated Ron had been, and still was. 

"Because he's as crazy as his mother, Adora, and my Aunt Bellatrix. For centuries, my family has had a long history of marrying crazy people or having a crazy person in our blood line... Adora was killed a few nights ago, she had been hunted down by Auror's. They were trying to arrest her and convict her of her crimes. But she fought back, and it got her killed. My uncle, my father's brother, was killed when Finn was barely a year old, but that's just what I've been told." Draco explained.

By the time they had gotten to the first-class, Draco had explained how psycho his cousin Finn, and some of his family, were and went on to explain that when he’d tried to get Harry as a friend the previous year he was just being a jerk, though he had indeed really wanted a friend in Harry.

"Well, I mean, had you gone about it differently I may not have said no. But maybe it was a good reality check for all of us. Had that not happened, Ron and I wouldn't be as close as we are now, probably, and Hermione definitely may not have been one of our friends then you wouldn't have woken up realizing you needed a friend or two that would help you defend yourself." Harry said smiling.

Draco and Ron had to give it to him, Harry did have a point, though Draco was beginning to see what Ron was talking about. Harry seemed to always have an answer, even if it was wrong or didn't make much since. The wrong answer still sometimes had a point and the nonsense answers also had a point to make.

They’d split up to head to their seats and classes went on the entire day.

Harry and Ron had seen where Draco had sat every time, trying to get as far from Crabbe and Goyle as much as possible, but the two boys had followed him the entire time and always sat on either side of the young Malfoy. They had to hand it to Draco, for someone who could give someone Hell as good as he could, he was ignoring the two as they bothered him every class.

"Draco, why don't you sit with us this time around?" Harry offered with some concern.

"Can't, you know they have us all sitting in house arranged seats. I just never get lucky with sitting with another Slytherin student, Crabbe and Goyle are very good at moving people against their will."

"But if you tell the Professor that they're bothering you, then they can move you. Even if it's not with us, you'll still be away from them." Ron spoke up with his thoughts, hoping it could work.

Draco’s head popped upward from his essay he’d been previously writing to thinking of that before. "That is a good point, but classes are all over now. I'll talk to each one tomorrow before class starts. I never actually thought of that… Goyal has a mean elbow. I think my ribs are bruised a bit." He commented, sour memory of each elbow attack his ribs had taken.

Ron and Harry sighed, they had actually thought they had it bad when it was Crabbe, Goyle and Draco. But it looked like Draco was getting the worst end of this. They had a feeling he would refuse to go to the nurse to report this and get looked at. So, they pulled the blond into the boys' bathroom as they’d headed back towards Hagrid’s, "Come on, let's see it- don't argue, we know you won't go to Pomfrey. At least let us look at it so we know if we have to drag you to the Hospital wing." Harry grumbled.

Draco had to give it to them, they were right. With an annoyed sigh and the roll of his eyes, Draco grunted a bit as he lifted the side of his shirt and sighed with irritation, there was indeed a bruise from Goyle's elbow.

"How'd he manage to get you in the same spot every time?" Ron asked with surprise.

"He has good aim, shockingly. I know he doesn't look smart, but he is." Draco grumbled putting his shirt down and picked up his books, "Let me guess-"

"Pomfrey, move it, Malfoy." Harry and Ron said in unison and grinned as the blond sighed and walked out, heading for the Hospital wing, both Gryffindor boys trailing behind him.

They had been interrupted by McGonagall's voice sounding through the Castle, **"All students report back to their Common rooms, all staff report to the second-floor corridor immediately."**

The three boys were stumped by this, their curiosity had won. The three of them rushed to the second floor, followed the teachers towards a shocking, and horrifying, message.

"Our worst fear had been realized! A student has been taken by the monster into the chamber itself!" Minerva cried in horror.

Lockhart walked up, a grin across his face, "So sorry, dozed off, what have I missed?" he didn't look one bit fazed by anything.

"A girl has been snatched by the beast. It seems your hour has finally arrived, Lockhart." Snape said, a firm arm around Mellena who was staring at the written message on the wall, eyes filling with tears.

_'Dear girl, where are you? Are you alive and safe? Has it hurt you? Is it torturing you?'_ Mellena was not the only one fearing for the First Year Gryffindor.

Lockhart nearly choked on air as he looked at Snape bug-eyed in horror, "M-my mo-moment?"

"Yes, weren't you going on just last night at supper about how you've known all along where the chamber has been hiding?" Snape's tone was accusing, his eyes hard as stone as he stared the man down.

Minerva smiled and clapped her hands once and held them, "Then it's settled, we shall leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legendary, yes?"

Lockhart paled with fear at the Professor’s words, "O-oh, uh, yes-yes. Of course, leave it to me," He sang a little, "I'll-uh, I'll just be, in my office ge-getting ready. Yes. That's it." And with that, Lockhart was off in a hurry.

The boys were covering their mouths trying not to laugh loudly at Lockhart’s reaction, they really didn't want any more detentions, and if they were caught tonight, at this moment, they were sure they'd have a months' worth of detentions into next year. But it was Pomfrey that had pulled them from their laughter, "Who is it that the monster has taken, Minerva?"

Their attention captivated the three as they listened carefully, waiting for Professor McGonagall’s answer. "Ginny Weasley," The halls filled with gasps, only Minerva and Mellena had known who had been taken.

Mellena had found the message, along with some of Ginny’s belongings lying in the halls and reported it directly to McGonagall.

Reality had swiftly came flooding back to the three boys with horror, their greenness for the horrifying news made them greener as the staff cleared away, heads bowed low to start searching for Ron's sister and revealed the written message on the wall. 

Ron stared off in horror as he read the blood, " ** _Her skeleton shall remain in the dungeons forever_** … Ginny… But, what- I don't understand, my baby sister? Why her?" Ron cried.

Harry and Draco were trying to calm the frightened brother, but neither knew what to really do. They were both the only child. The two Gryffindor boys were Draco's first friends he'd ever really had, so he had no clue how to help Harry calm the panicking Ron.

"Come on, we can give Lockhart the information we have. If he really does know the location of the chamber, maybe it was moved and the symbol we found could just have been a decoy."

“Lockhart isn't that smart, Harry-" Draco paled a bit a seeing Ron's face fall more and began panicking all over again, "But it's worth a try. Come on, up you go Weasley, let's go find your sister."

"Lockhart may be useless, but we can at least give him what we know," Harry said rushing down the halls with the other two trailing behind him. Ron felt a bit of hope when they saw Lockhart in his office like he'd said.

"Professor! Professor, we have some information for you-" They stopped short upon finding him, not preparing to go find the lost girl, but packing his things rather quickly.

Draco glared around the room then turned a nasty look to the man, "Are you going somewhere?"

"Uh, um, have a bit of an unexpected thing come up, unavoidable I'm afraid."

"You're running away!" Harry shouted.

Draco had no idea why they were shocked, but he had to admit he himself was even a little bit disappointed in the man.

In a frenzy of panic, Ron blocked the wizard into a corner he was trying to leave, "What about my sister!" he shouted.

"I do apologize, but there are other professors, other **_skilled_** Professor's, that I'm sure will do everything they can to retrieve the dear girl, my condolences though."

"What about all those things in your books you've done!" Harry shouted out, he wanted to call this man out for what he really was. A fake.

Infuriated he wasn’t getting anywhere Lockhart did the only thing he knew he was good at. He talked. Though it was more like blabbing a damned confession. "My dear boy, Books can be misleading!"

"Well, you wrote them!" Draco shouted, finally having enough himself.

"You're a coward! You've only taken credit for what other Wizards have done!" Harry tossed back.

Ron thought for a moment that these two suddenly sounded an awfully lot like the Twins with jumping back and forth like they were.

"Well, now that you mention it, I am rather gifted with memory charms," he boasted, his hands on his hips and a wide, proud, grin. But it was Draco that moved beside Ron with a stealing glare from his steel blue eyes that nearly burned a hole through Lockhart, "That's not exactly something to be proud of, Lockhart. What did you do, write down their achievements then wipe their memories!" It was an accusation, not a question.

Lockhart knew this.

"Are you by any chance related to Miss. Evans, she has that same glare."

Harry had had enough as of now, every man that had tried flirting with his Aunt had just simply annoyed him, even his uncle Remus tried flirting with her, it grated on his nerves! "What is it with men and my Aunt! Leave the woman be, for Merlin's sake!"

Though Lockhart hadn’t paid much attention to Harry’s outburst, "Beautiful eyes, I personally like blue but-" Lockhart had been silenced by shock as three wands came pointing at him, he raised his hands in defeat with wide eyes and panic, "Oh my,"

"Time to go. **_Professor_**." Draco snarled.

"Hand over your wand. No tricks from you, Lockhart." Ron said, holding a handout and took Gilderoy's wand swiftly, the three moved aside for him to walk out of the room.

"Go on, move…" They had herded Lockhart to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. After the little display of cowardice and thievery he'd pulled back in his office, the boys figured to try her bathroom after all. "Go on Harry, say something," Ron said to him.

Harry shrugged with uncertainty, "But I don't know how to open it." Harry said a bit unnerved.

"It'll only open for someone with Parseltongue talent. You can say anything in that language, Potter. The passageway should open." Draco clarified.

Ron nodded in agreement to the blond.

"When did you three become friends anyways?" Lockhart finally asked, though he got a look from the three boys that plainly screamed, _"Really?"_

Harry sighed and gave it a try. But upon his attempt, the four jumped back in fright, it had worked, "Wow.”

“Now that's a drop." Draco said looking over the edge a bit and shivered.

"Well, now that you boys seemed to have found it and have it opened, I don't see as to why you need me anymore-"

"Uh, no. How about you go first. You are, after all, a Professor. Surely it would be appropriate that a teacher goes in first as to not endanger us students, right?" Ron stated, his wand at the ready as he glared.

Draco had to give it to Ron, he was not only determined, but the Weasley boy had a fire that Draco understood why he wanted him to go down first, and he was technically right. As a teacher Lockhart should go in first so they, the students, didn't get hurt, "I agree, how about it, Professor Lockhart?"

"I-I, uh, I don't believe I'm of much use boys, sorry. I really must be- AH!" Ron rolled his eyes and backed Lockhart down into the hole. They watched him listened to him as he dropped and shouted with fear. Hearing Lockhart connect with the bottom, they waited for him to call up. The boys nearly vomited when he hadn't responded the first thirty seconds.

_‘We just killed a teacher!'_ Harry and Draco screamed to themselves mentally and gave one another a look of fear while Ron stared in shock.

_‘I just killed a teacher!’_ Ron looked down in horror at the thought.

"It is really quite filthy down here."

Their breaths let out with utter relief. Lockhart was alive.

"Alright, come on." Harry said nonchalantly.

Both Draco and Ron looked to one another, neither wanted to go down themselves really, "Come on you two, we have to get Ginny. Do you two really think he'll go get her?"

With that pointed out, Harry jumped down, shouting when his butt started sliding down. He thought for a moment was going to break something, again.

"Well, he has a point, come on Draco." Ron gulped, staring down into the deep, dark hole before them.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you first Weas- AHHH!" Ron had pulled Draco down with him, both boys screamed and shouted then laughed as they slid and skidded out of the tunnel. Groaning in slight pain as they both landed and scrapped themselves. The rest of the way through wasn’t as pleasant as the slide down. It had gotten worse when Lockhart had 'fainted' then Obliviated himself to oblivion, causing a cave in. But in the destruction and Lockhart’s stupidity, Harry had been separated from Ron and Draco.

"Harry!" Ron shouted a few times, hoping to get an answer from his dear friend. Both he and Draco shared a fearful look with one another upon not hearing Harry replay.

"You alive over there, Potter!" Draco shouted, both boys rushing to move the blocking debris from their path. They knew it would take a while to get the pile of rubble moved to clear some form of path. But they needed to find him!

"I'm fine, you two try to move this rubble! I'll keep going and find Ginny! Where's Lockhart!?"

Both relieved to hear his voice, Draco snickered at Ron. The Weasley boy had had enough of Lockhart’s babbling dumb questions and had hit him over the head with a rock, knocking him unconscious.

"He has no idea who he is, it's kind of funny to be honest." Draco admitted.

Ron nodded in agreement, "Served him right. Bloody coward that he is." Ron grumbled.

"Yeah, no kidding. Though, I do wonder what happened to the ones he erased. Think he killed them or just wiped their memories?" Draco continued to heave the rubble he could away from the caved in wall while he and Ron had a discussion about Lockhart's stupidity.

"Na, he doesn't have the stomach to kill someone, he's just a coward. He likely just cleared their memories and left them to wander or pretended to have saved them."

They had no idea Harry was currently running for his life from the Basilisk while Tom Riddle's memory laughed at him.

"You can thank your Aunt for me also, Potter! Ginny's magic wasn't strong enough for me to fully manifest this way! It was all thanks to dear Ginny for connecting your dear Emma to the journal that I was able to do this!"

Harry panted with adrenaline and fright as he climbed Salazar Slytherin's engraved face and up the rock wall away from the snake and drove the sword of Gryffindor through the roof of the snake's mouth once it attempted to swallow him.

Tom felt a moment of panic as the snake fell dead at his feet, "NO!" Tom had been about to kill Harry until his eyes suddenly watched with grinning relief as Harry pulled the Basilisk's fang from his arm and stumbled towards Ginny. This had Tom boasting all over again. It hadn't lasted long. "What are you doing?" Fear radiated from him as he watched Harry flipped open the pages and stabbed the journal.

Realizing it was the memories lifeline and source, Harry rose the Basilisk’s fang and plunged it into the papers of the Journal and continued stabbing it then finally shoving the fang deeper and deeper into the book until Tom Riddle was gone, turned into dust that covered the floor.

Harry sighed with relief for a moment until reality sank in. He wanted to see his aunt, one last time. Harry knew he hadn't been fast enough, and it had cost him his life. He had a feeling that if he died there, in that chamber, his Aunt may not survive after him for long. Not after losing him the first time, fighting for him for eight years only to finally get him back in her arms and have a happy family for such a short time, only to lose him just months afterwards while she was unconscious back in her coma state. She'd feel like a failure and he hated himself for this. Harry didn't want to die, he didn't want to lose his home all over again, he just wanted his Aunt to hug him and tell him it was all going to be okay. That this was all just a nightmare. He had to smiled though, when he heard Ginny's gasp of breath, that sign also likely meant his Aunt was awake. Tom had said Ginny had been under his control when she had done everything, even connecting his Aunt to the Journal like she had been the moment she began using it.

"Harry? I'm so sorry, it was me, but Riddle made me, I- Harry, your arm!"

"It's fine, follow the corridor down to the end, Ron and Draco are there. Get yourselves out."

Ginny opened her mouth to argue with him, she was not going to leave him there alone and hurt like he was.

A sudden screech came from far off in the chamber, drawing their attention.

"Fawkes?" They watched the bird land and Harry gently ran a hand over the Phoenix's neck in gratitude for helping him. But as their eyes watched the Phoenix drop his tears into the deep wound they were stunned as the wound sealed closed. Likely burning the poison from his body, "That's right! Phoenix tears have healing properties! You're brilliant Fawkes! Time to go Ginny, I think Ron will be glad to see you alright, come on."

They had been taken directly to Dumbledore's office, even Draco, “You three have broken over a hundred school rules! This gives us good cause, and reason, for expulsion!" Dumbledore scolded, "So, this leaves me no other choice… But to reward, each of you, and Miss Granger, Special Awards for outstanding survives to the school." The three boys looked up in shock at him. Turning happy faces to one another, "I have to say I am very proud of you three. Especially you, Mr. Malfoy, for aiding your classmates. Though I must ask, are you happy with your new choices?" Dumbledore asked the smiling Slytherin.

Draco smiled as he nodded, "Yes, I am. I am happy with my choices, Professor..."

To this, Dumbledore nodded, understanding the child's mind and reason, "Mr. Weasley, if you could, please take these release papers to the Owlery. I think we'd all agree that we'd like to have our Gamekeeper back home, safe and sound."

Ron nodded in agreement and rushed from the office excited about not only not being expelled but that they'd be getting Hagrid back. Nearly running into Lucius Malfoy on his way out, Ron had a sense of panic rush through him along with the feeling of anger. Shoving passed the man and down the hall to do as he was asked to do.

Lucius marched in, a stern and angry look on his face as he glared from his son to Harry, finally to the Headmaster.

It was the sight of a specific elf that shocked Harry, "Dobby? So, it's the Malfoy's you serve?"

At Harry’s shocked statement Lucius turned to a frightened Dobby, who shrank behind his Master in fear of being beaten in public. Even Draco was confused, "How do you know Dobby?"

"You mean you didn't send him to keep me from coming back to school at the beginning of this year?" Now Harry was just confused, if it wasn't Draco, and it obviously wasn't Lucius due to his angered reaction towards the elf, who was it? He'd become instantly angry when Lucius had turned to Dobby and told him he'd deal with him later then turned his attention back to Dumbledore.

"I was told that the Headmaster had returned,"

"Ah, yes. The Governors were under the impression that you had threatened to curse some of their family members had they not agreed to remove me. However, that is not my place to say, I'm not the one that shall be doing the investigation, Mr. Malfoy. Is there something you came for, Lucius?"

Gripping his wand staff tightly, Lucius clenched his teeth with pure rage, "Indeed, I have… My son has been acting outside of his station and house, I will be taking him home shortly after today, and I will bring him back myself to take his exams. Draco! Come along. Dobby! Move, you stupid creature!" his son and servant close behind, both sharing a look of concern.

Harry turned to the Headmaster, his eyes looking at the Journal just as an idea came to him, "Professor, may I have that?" It was almost as if Dumbledore knew what he was up to, he had only smiled knowingly at his student and nodded then proceeded to watch Harry remove his sock and slip it between the pages of the journal and took off after the Malfoy's and Dobby, "Mr. Malfoy!"

Draco stopped and turned to face Harry. He really didn't want to leave, his father was scaring him, and after he'd back handed him that night Draco was sadly afraid of his father, but his reaction to Harry had Draco and Dobby step aside from the two as Harry handed his father the journal. It hit him just then. Draco had in fact seen that journal before, in his fathers' study at home.

_‘What has he done!?’_ Draco looked at his father with utter shock.

"Whatever is this for, Potter."

"I think you already know sir. I think you're the one that slipped the diary into Ginny Weasley's cauldron while in Diagon Alley in the Book shop. No one noticed it because you were too busy trying to start a fight with Mr. Weasley that no one noticed you slipping the journal into her cauldron with her own book."

Draco's jaw dropped, he had been watching the scene unfold himself, but he was too busy laughing at the fight that he really did not see his father do the slide of hand. He had intentionally endangered children, even his own son, in hopes to bring something dangerous back into the Wizarding world. Draco couldn't help but shout out at his father in horror and disbelief. The problem was that Draco believe his father was capable of something like this, and that sacred Draco the most.

"I knew it! I knew that journal looked familiar! You endangered everyone here, even me, your own child!" Draco shouted, wishing he didn’t believe this, but he was heartbroken that he was unable to believe his father was incapable of this act.

Lucius turned a stern glare to his son and tossed the book into Dobby's arms harshly, "Come along, Dobby. Draco, now!"

Already infuriated, Draco’s mind spun with thoughts. His heart sank when his Aunt Mira came to mind, "Did you kill Aunt Mira!" Draco’s heart stopped when he's father froze in mid-step and gave him a disappointed look, "No, the house just burned to the ground, I-" 

"Master has given Dobby a sock?" the dear elf’s voice was filled with excitement, shock and disbelief at what he was holding in his hand. He couldn’t believe it, but it was true, he was holding clothes in his very palm. The House Elf, Dobby, was free.

"Wait, what?" Lucius turned to Dobby with confusion and found him holding a tall, grey, sock with a happy smile, "Dobby is free!" Draco and Harry had panicked when Lucius turned on Harry like a were-wolf ready to kill as he pulled his wand free, aimed at Harry. Rage burning in his piercing blue eyes.

Draco had been frightened as he watched his father direct his wand towards Harry had begun the beginning words of a cure Draco knew, even at his young age, was forbidden to use, especially towards a child. The killing curse. Draco had no idea he had moved until he’d knocked them both to the ground to keep Harry from being hit by a curse. A curse which hadn't been given the chance to leave his fathers' wand. All thanks to Dobby, who had sent a spell to Lucius sending the now mentally unstable Wizard flying backwards away from the children.

Both kids looked to one another in fear and shock. Lucius Malfoy had not only meant to attack a Hogwarts child on Hogwarts grounds, but his own son as well. They watched as Lucius stood from his fallen place and glared with deep seated malice at both Harry and Draco as he growled out to Harry, something he hadn't realized he would soon regret, "Your parents were meddlesome fools! You'll meet the same, sticky, end… Draco! Come!"

"No, I'm not going home with you, you can send my mother or Aunt Mira. If she really is alive! Why'd you tell me she was dead!" Draco shouted with demand.

Lucius was already on the border lines of insane from what had just happened, he knew he was bound to be arrested, especially from his actions against a child. His own son, but Draco's refusal to leave with him and bringing up 'Mira' had just done the job of sending him in a downward spiral, "That **_woman_** is not your Aunt! Your mother brought that disgusting Mud-blood into our home, paraded her around our home and family as if she were family! **Mira Black** **is** Emma Evans, and that creature is **not** your Aunt!"

Both boys had stared at him in horror at what he was saying, "Th-that's not possible," Draco didn’t feel good. He let dizzy and nauseated.

"Yes, it is very possible. Your mother betrayed us in the first War, Draco. Emma and your mother somehow grew close, when I started catching onto her strange activates, I questioned her. Then **Mira Black** shows up two weeks later. I had no proof she was Emma, but I finally found the proof this past year and set out to do a _family cleansing_. Unfortunately, she wasn't in the house but with your mother unable to contact her dear friend and Emma left out of the loop and thus, out of the way… Emma Evans and that family of hers' is dangerous, Draco. Now, come home at once!" Lucius growled, his senses finally coming back to him, paling five shades and nearly green in the face upon realizing that he had just screamed a confession. Not only to his son but to Harry Potter and Dobby, a newly free House Elf, and anyone around that had heard this could help convict him.

Unfortunately, it was the female's screeching that had him shivering. "LUCIUS MALFOY!"

A screech that was filled with anger and venom as she stormed swiftly down the corridors, red in the face. Her fists clenched like a vice and death in her eyes. She was out for blood, but how did she know he was there? He knew that voice.

' _Time to go.'_ Lucius Disapparated right out of the corridor, out of Hogwarts and fleeing back home as Emma came rushing towards the two boys, checking them of any injuries.

Draco’s mind was in a whirlwind, "You're Mira? Why didn't you just tell me?" Draco was understandably upset, and she didn't blame him. She had lied to him and she had kept with being 'dead'.

"I didn't know how to tell you, Draco. I thought you would have been safer had I stayed quiet. Especially, when I was finally told 'Mira' was supposed to be dead. Everything seemed to simmer down for a bit. I haven't heard from your mother in months and I didn't want to say anything until I had heard from her regarding what to do, she never brought it up, probably didn't have the chance to really think about it to give me an answer." Emma explained with slight panic.

Okay, that was understandable, though he was still upset with her as he huffed and puffed, but it hadn't stopped the tears rolling down his face. Throwing himself into her arms, Draco cried, "Can I stay with you for a while, please? I don’t want to go back to that place with him, not like he is. What’s happening to him?"

Emma's heart shattered, there was only so much she could do with this situation. Harry's parents were dead, she could fight and win for him, but Lucius had his hands deep in the Ministry. She may be more than just refused Draco, she'd be forbidden from seeing him and Narcissa, that much she knew for sure. Lucius may not always look like much, but he had power to back him up, meaning a lot of people with deep pockets. And unless she was given permission from one of the parents Emma knew she could only keep Draco for as long as was allowed by the parents. The last thing she wanted to happen was Draco being forcefully removed from her care and home, "Of course, but you understand that even if I, we, like it or not, I have to hand you over to your parents whether we like it or not. You understand that, right?"

Harry watched sadly at the interaction as Draco nodded with sniffs here and there as he cried, he was relieved Draco wasn't going back to that environment right then, but how long could his Aunt keep the boy safe?

Draco had so much locked up inside that he had finally let it all out with his breakdown, he didn't mind going home with his mother, but not his father, he was terrified of his father, he had tried to kill a student, a child on school grounds in front of his own son and had not backed down at all even when Draco had knocked Harry to the ground to try to help prevent him from not only being hurt but killed by his father. The only reason the boys were still alive was because of Dobby’s quick actions to stop his previous, and rather cruel, Master.

"Come on, let's go have you two looked at." Emma smiled happily to both her nephews and wrapped an arm around them both, one of their own arms around her as she walked them to the Hospital wing. She had spoken with Minerva who had been currently in the middle of leaving the Hospital wing herself from checking in on Ginny.

Emma had sent the boys in while she stayed in the hall to speak with McGonagall. "He did what! He tried attacking them both! His own son even? Oh my, I can't possibly imagine how Narcissa is taking this down spiral. Do you think she'll be alright? Maybe she'll leave him after that?" Minerva was only speaking with hope, for Draco's future safety, but Emma had no idea what Narcissa would do.

"I don't know, she loves Lucius dearly, but her son is her pride and joy. Draco’s everything to her, but I guess we'll find out."

Their attention turned as quick steps and a hard clack from a walking stick hit the stone floors heading their ways.

Emma knew the sound of that walking stick. She was curious as to why he would be there, but it was Remus's frightened look as he rushed around the corner with an equally disturbed Alastor Moody.

Remus hadn't said a word. He'd stopped millimeters from Emma and grabbed her arms in a vise grip. She saw the fear in his eyes, fear that terrified her, Remus was scared, which means she may have a reason to be also, "What's going on, Remus?"

"Sirius is out, he broke out of Azkaban. Emma, we have to move you and Harry from the Manor, he may be on his way there right now."

This took her off guard so far that her mind was not registering what was going on, "Emma, did you hear me! Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban." Remus repeated. He panicked when she began shaking her head.

"No, I-I'm not leaving. It's Harry's home, my home now that I have Harry."

"Emma-"

"No! Remus, I'm not moving us, I will not uproot us like last time. The Estate was James and Lily’s home. Harry has a right to have happy memories of the home like his father had growing up. I-I can’t. I won’t… No, if I feel the need to take him and the others somewhere safer than the Estate, I’ll… I’ll take them to the Cabin, or Molly and Arthur." Emma was trying to come up with ‘logical’ reasons not to move Harry and herself. If Sirius was out, there was only very few places he’d go too. And the Potter’s Estate was the first place she knew Sirius would head for. That was home. His apartment had been ransacked then re-rented. She knew Sirius would have known better than to go back there.

If Sirius was on his way to the Potter Estate then she was staying right there, she had to see him, had to hold him, tell him she was sorry. That she tried to get him out, tried to see him.

"We'll put defense charms around the house then, an alarm system in case he comes around. The moment he steps through, he’ll have a body bound charm lock him in place." Alastor said and began walking away before Emma had the chance to say anything to prevent it.

* * *

**On the run**

_'I'm coming for you Wormtail. When I find you, I'll get rid of you like I should have twelve years ago!'_ His breath was ragging. He was a mess, he knew of only one place to go besides Grimmauld place, and that was the Potter Estate, to Emma. The thought of seeing her was a great joy he had missed for years. The feel of her hair, her skin, her lips, her smell of fresh roses in spring water. Her deep emerald eyes staring at him with love and happiness, her smile, her voice, _"I love you, Sirius Black,"_

_"Marry me,"_

_"Stay alive, no matter what, Love."_

He couldn't help but feel his heart shatter at his last words to her, the kiss, the hug. He never wanted to let her go. He hadn't been there to protect them from the one person they should have been able to trust, and he was the one, the reason, the Potters, his best friend, his family, had been led to the slaughter like lamps because he had turned them over to Peter Pettigrew.


	16. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 16**

* * *

**Summer of 1993, July 15th**

"Harry, Draco! Dinner's ready!" Emma smiled wide with laughter as she listened to the two boys laughing and racing down the steps, playfully shoving one another as they stumbled into the kitchen to help her set the table.

"Hey, is Hermione supposed to be coming sometime in the next week or two?" Draco asked, he had completely forgotten about that, he wasn't sure why he had just randomly thought of it.

Hermione had been iffy on coming around with Draco now friends with the boys, but both her boys had vouched for Draco Malfoy. He’d apologized and told her that he’d only been a jerk because he was jealous of the friendship, she, Ron and Harry had. A real friendship he was missing out on with anyone.

"Yeah, Aunt Emma is picking her up in two or three weeks, I think, she went to Paris with her parents for a few weeks, said her dad had a Dental business trip. Her and her mum had always wanted to see Paris again, so they had decided to go with Hermione’s father." Harry explained finishing up the placements while Draco finished setting the silverware for dinner to start.

"Is uncle Remus coming to dinner tonight Aunt Emma?" Draco asked curiously. After all, he and Harry had made a place for him

"Already here my dear boys," A voice said from the archway of the Dining room, tall, sickly pale man stood in the entre way smiling wide at the three-smiling people and laughed when the boys rushed to him and embraced him in their arms.

Draco had quickly adjusted to the life at the Potter Estate, loved it even more when Emma would take them to the cottage in the woods for a getaway. He loved the quietness the woods gave them, no screaming and no big places to worry about. It was peaceful, and he knew deep down that his mother would love this place also, even his father would enjoy something like this. Peaceful and quiet, no worries to have to worry about. Nothing rich and fancy to worry about breaking, no shouts for the house elves. Even when Draco wanted to do something himself his father had always screamed at a house elf to do just about everything, and that had always annoyed Draco. He liked it there with Emma, Harry and Remus. It felt like a real family. He only wished his mum was there to make it feel complete.

No one noticed the person that watched them from afar. Dirty, hungry, tired and his heart shattering as he watched the little interaction, as thick and heavy tears rolled down his sunken face from the hardships, and horror, he'd endured the last twelve years. He watched the boys hug Remus, watched Remus hugging Emma and everyone laughing. A thought struck him cold to the core, that his life had been more than just robbed from him but betrayed by the woman he'd love till the day he died, even in death he'd still find a way to love her. He had no idea that it was Aunt and Uncle in different means. His mind was under the major impression Emma had left him in her past and Remus had moved in on his girl when he'd been sent away. But he had nowhere else to go, as much as he hated watching it, worst of all, the site killed him to watch. But he was able to look at Harry and Emma, both smiling with utmost happiness, see their laughter's they ate at the dinner table.

Sirius sighed and shifted to go for a hunt, he might have hated to do it, but he was hungry, and he'd eat just about anything, raw or trash. He really had hit rock bottom then fell even farther. But, as he neared the house to look around the garden he felt something make contact with one of his paws and gave said paw a small shock. This grabbed his attention and his heart to jump into his throat as he watched a small Emma the Wisp appear before him in the shape of a small, glowing blue, fox that yipped at him with warning.

Just as this was happening outside, inside something else was happening. Emma's small bracelet began to flash a very dim blue, just enough for her to notice. Something she had done herself as to not alert anyone in case Sirius had come around, she wanted her own alarm for herself if he was there to warn him.

Sirius sighed, and his ears fell back, saddened he wouldn’t be able to sleep comfortably, at least not in the gardens, a place he’d always enjoyed as a young boy and young man. But she had warned him.

Emma had found a way around Moody's and Remus's magical alarm system around the home. Unfortunately, she was unable to find a way to set up a safe place for him due to Remus and Alastor constantly keeping a close eye on her. They knew she'd try something to help him. They knew all they had to do was to wait, watch and attack then Sirius would be back in Azkaban. That was one of the only reasons why Remus was now so suddenly always around.

"So, I was asked to be the Defense against the Dark Arts Teacher this year." Remus said in hopes of starting a small conversation.

"That's wonderful, though I still think they should have been applying Severus to that station, he is very good at it." Emma said without thinking, "No office, you're Magnificent in practically every class Remus, I'd never doubt your ability to be an amazing teacher." She quickly clarified.

Remus smiled and nodded, taking a bite of his food, "You and I both have a bit of a different opinion about Severus Snape when regarding that type of subject, Rose. But no offence taken. So, try not to worry your pretty head. Though, it does remind me that we have yet to finish our little disagreement regarding a certain _Sirius_ subject." He tossed back.

Emma knew this meant he had taken some offence to what she had said and was also hinting to her that they were going to finish their eight, almost nine-year argument regarding Sirius Black. Unfortunately, when he had mentioned this Emma had lost her appetite quickly. Sitting her silverware aside, Emma wiped her mouth with a napkin and took her dishes to the sink and started cleaning the kitchen of used pots, pans and bowls she had used to cook.

Draco and Harry both watched with slight amusement, though they were mostly worried, as Emma left.

She hadn't come back yet, and that was five minutes ago, "Are you sure you two aren't married?" Draco had to ask, simply because every time he and Harry turned around, they were acting almost like a husband and wife, minus the Lovely-Dovie stuff.

Harry gently laughed as he tossed a few peas at Draco, who tossed a carrot or two back to him.

"Enough, Emma work hard on dinner. She's just having a few difficult things going on. Her and I are both on edge is all." He laughed at them as they stopped, but the boys had made Remus smile and gently laugh for a few seconds. Taking in a deep sigh, he rubbed his face from the exhaustion, "but yes, I'm sure we are **not** married. Let's finish supper then it's up to shower and to bed **after** you do some summer work for classes. And don't think I don't know you weren't given homework boys. I knew two boys just like both of you when I was growing up and it took myself, Emma and a few others just to get them to do their summer work in time to turn it in. If they were that lucky." He said knowingly, grinning with success when they silently groaned and gave each other a look of, _"We've been caught,"_ meaning they hadn't touched a thing of summer work since they got home.

Finishing dinner, Remus picked up their plates and sent the boys up-stairs. Taking the dirty dishes into the kitchen where Emma was still cleaning, worst of all, she was cleaning in silence. That was never a good thing. She always had the radio going, lightly singing along and slightly dancing to the music as she went along, but he supposed he had gone too far with his Sirius comment and felt like a total git for it. Walking into the kitchen he slipped the dirty dishes into the hot-water and soap filled sink, with a defeated sigh as he placed a hand to her lower back, like he always had in the past to try comforting her, but he'd find it wouldn't work this time, because this time Remus Lupin had truly messed up, "Emma-" 

"Don't, just go clean up and get some rest. The Full Moon will be coming around shortly in a few days and you know, very well, how much you hurt before and after. Not to mention how moody you get, _Moony_." Her tone was soft yet sharp, this caused Remus to shiver. Her tone held a deadly edge to it and Remus couldn't help but flinch, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even brought him up, especially not at dinner." He was trying to apologize, but she was set in finishing her cleaning and it looked as if she was cleaning the Manor's entire culinary kitchen.

_'Ooh yes, I have made her quite mad this time…'_

With a sigh Remus trapping her between himself and the sink as she worked, and it seemed she wasn't even affected by it, the action of her ignoring his presence stung him deeply. Over the years he found himself falling for her, well, if he'd be honest with himself, he had fallen for her a long time ago, but he’d loved Sirius and their friendship and had kept himself at a distance. But Sirius had betrayed them, her family, her sister and his best friend had been murdered in cold blood all because Sirius had turned over their location. "He always had a way with you, Emma. I know you love him, but it's time you see before it's too late that he **is** the one that betrayed you, he handed you all over to Voldemort. Sirius Black is a traitor and a murderer. You not only have Harry to protect now, you have Draco in your home as well, and dare I say they are more your own children than your nephews. Draco practically has **two** mothers! If Sirius finds these boys as your weakness, he will slaughter them both-" his words ceased the moment Emma turned on him in a dime, anger clear on her face as her cheeks grew pink, a sign she was trying very hard to control herself as she glared up at him, "Stop… Just… Stop."

"Emma, I have tried the last nine years to get you to see that the figure in your memory was Sirius, he snuck into your hospital room and tried erasing your memory so he could frame Peter and came back looking like a hero in our eyes, in your eyes! Why can you not see that he played you from the start, he played us all from the start! He never loved you -"

**_SLAP!_ **

The sound echoed through the Manor.

Remus was in sheer shock, his right cheek burning like Hades himself had tossed a fireball at him and Emma with heavy tears rolling down her face in an endless stream. Remus hadn't moved an inch, not even a muscle as she walked away from between sink and himself and out the kitchen doors to the garden and into the woods at the back of the Manor.

Emma fell to her knees, curled herself in and rested her head against the cool ground with her arms tightly around herself as she cried herself senseless.

Sirius witnessed the whole thing and he sadly couldn't help the long and painful wince he himself had done on Remus's behalf. He may not have been able to hear the conversation, but the large kitchen window that showed the side view of the sink in the kitchen had let him watch everything. Emma had never struck Remus before, and this had shocked even Sirius, though he felt some pride swell up in him as he could hear the slap outside, which meant he had definitely pissed her off. However, Sirius was getting angry himself at the Were-wolf for making her angry enough to slap him.

 _'What the bloody hell did you say Moony!'_ Sirius’s heart shattered as he watched Emma ran from the house, through the gardens and right into the woods. She had fallen only five feet from where he was hiding. Sirius was relieved he could smell her natural scent, fresh roses in spring water, but what made him happier, was that she was not mixed with any other scent at all, it was purely hers', pure Emma. His Emma. His engagement ring was still very clearly on her wedding figure in full glory. A silver ring that was engraved with the words, **_"Forever and Always, eternity shall we always be bound,"_** on the outside, and he knew the engraving on the inside had stayed the same, **_"Sirius Black and Emma Evans"_**. She was still his, she hadn't betrayed him at all. His heart pounded in his chest like a drum with her so close that he could feel her hair in his hands, hands that ached to touch her, to hold her. He hadn't realized he had done anything until he was kneeling in front of her, in full human and in his hideous appearance all thanks to the care of Azkaban had done for him, which was nothing. He knew he needed a bath, preferably a shower, ages ago. His hands shaking as they found their way gently lacing through her dark red hair. He began to panic. If she saw him, what would she do? Would she scream and shout for Remus to save her? Did she believe he had been the one to betray James and Lily and herself twelve years ago? Would she capture him? Or kill him?

Emma froze in panic when she felt a shaking hand run their fingers through her hair. Her fear had left instantly when she felt the gentleness of the way they moved for just a few seconds, there was only one person who ran their fingers through her hair like that, twirling a small strand around their index finger near her ear. Feeling their hands freeze in their motion she slowly looked up. Her eyes found dirty grey and white strips, a lot of tears in the clothes. And from the quick and clear close observation, Emma knew they were most definitely more than a second handed prison uniform, but it was the sunken in face and long greasy hair that shocked her. But his eyes were the same, they were aged obviously from the prison, and from the harsh life in Azkaban he had to have suffered for years, years she had continued to fail in freeing him from.

Her emerald eyes re-filled with tears as she looked at him, he looked terrible and in pain, he looked extremely malnourished and sick-like and was in grave need of a bath. But she hadn't cared, he was there. Emma’s body leaped at him all its' own, her arms wrapping around him and cried into him, she didn't care about anything, not even the smell could keep her away at that moment, he was truly there. He was home, and in her reach, "I can-can't take it an-anymore, Sirius… P-please be real. Please be real…" Emma couldn’t help it. He had to be, he just had to be real if he was there. She felt the warmth of his skin, no matter how clammy and gross he may have felt from the years of being malnourished and refused any form of hygienic things it should have been another sign he was real. But she couldn’t help begging him to be.

His body relaxed as he sighed with relief, his arms wrapping around her. His grip may not have been as strong as it used to be, but he held her as tight as he could. Sirius finally had her back in his arms. He'd been tortured for twelve years to confess to aiding Voldemort and in helping murder James and Lily, but each time he had refused and screamed to the heavens of his innocence.

 ** _"I'M INNOCENT, PLEASE! IT WAS PETER! IT WAS PETTIGR-AHHHHH! ROSE! Remus? REMUS, PLEASE! ROSE, I'M INNOCENT I SWEAR! W-Emma ca-c-can-can prove it-it wasn't me, s-she was there when we split up!"_** _He'd screamed for four years for her to come get him, how could she not come for him? To leave him there, unless she hadn't made it out of surgery, had he been too late?_

 **_"Emma is of no use to your case, Sirius."_ ** _He'd felt his heart sink then jump when his pain filled eyes fell on Remus walking into the cell as they tortured him. He had hoped Remus was there to get him out, to say there was a new development in his case, but his words had struck Sirius harder than he thought, **"What do you mean she isn't of any use? What happened! Where is she! Remus, where's Fox?"**_

It had been twelve years of endless torture thinking he hadn't been there in time to save her, twelve years he had spent crying and shouting he was sorry he'd left her, them and Harry. The ones doing the torture would always walk away with laughter as they left him in his cell. Eventually, he stopped screaming and fell silent, for eight years he thought she was dead. Eight painful years, until Hagrid ended up in the cell next to him, **_"No, ya bloody fool, Emma's alive, she just got custody of Harry. Why would ya think she hadn' made it! She's a figh'er that one is!"_**

"No, I'm real... I'm real... It's alright now, Love... I got ya." it seemed she had been torturing herself over the years also, "Why didn't you come for me when you woke up?" He knew it was a bit of a blow, why was she in his arms crying herself near insanity when she was clearly awake and knew he was not the one that gave up the location? Unless, she thought he was in on it with Peter?

Sniffing back her tears Emma moved just a little to look him in the eyes, to study the damage the Ministry and Azkaban had caused him, "Someone got into my room after surgery and attempted to erase my memories. They didn't get far, but they still messed with that night, the only thing missing is the one that gave up the location. Everyone keeps trying to convince me it was you, but I know you left, you traded keepers last minutes at the safe house, the memory hasn't been touched or messed with. I don't know why that could have given rise to more questions. But they ke-kept saying you had seen the location either way, that you knew it and that even if you had traded keepers it meant nothing to them. It basically helped **keep** you in prison. I have been refused and rejected, finally threatened by the Ministry if I continued to try reopening the file. It shouldn't be an issue though! Alastor himself said he sealed it. He should be able to get the file. But he can't."

This did throw him for one, Wormtail had messed with her memories before he had found him, it was yet another time Wormtail had gotten close to her, close enough he could have killed her instead. So, why mess with her memories when he could have just killed her?

"Emma? Emma are you out here? Look I'm sorry, I know you love him, but I just want to help you from being hurt any more than you are." It was Remus, he sounded worried as he walked out the back door of the kitchen and into the gardens to find her.

Emma began to panic, "Sirius you have to go, if he sees you here, he'll likely kill you. There's a cottage where you we last camped, you can get in. Just touch the door and it'll let you in. Just be careful, Alastor and others are looking or you… Go." She tried keeping her tone down to a gentle whisper, but she knew with all her crying Remus more than likely had heard her.

Sirius kissed her forehead before turning and running, he didn't want to let her go, he wanted to go home, to Harry and Emma, he wanted his friend back, a friend that had walked away from him as he screamed in his cell as he was being tortured to confess. The fact he hadn't confessed for twelve years should have said something, but it just made them all believe he had gone insane just like his cousin Bellatrix and was believing his own lies he had been telling. He remembered the camp site clearly, it was in Scotland at an edge of a set of Woods that was forbidden to humans, non-magical humans, but the woods were barely for magical human either, yet he and Emma had always loved it. They were never bothered, not even by the were-wolves or Giants. He had to give it to her, making a home that was just them, something he would know of. But he still had to find Peter Pettigrew, so the cabin would have to wait.

Harry and Draco had gotten cleaned up and ready or bed. Harry had just finished three papers from their school work pile for summer work while Draco had more to do, he was currently working on his fourth worksheet, since he hadn't done so well the first two years, the Professors had given him Summer work to make up the terrible grades for a better placing in the future, for that he really was grateful. But as Harry was helping him, he'd noticed he seemed a bit tense and his mind always going somewhere else.

Draco could clearly see Harry wanted to ask him something, and after an extra five minutes of that tense irritation he finally did, "Draco, you never did tell me and Ron who hit you. So, who hit you? Was it Crabbe and Goyle, your dad? And if it makes you feel better, I'm actually hoping it was one of those two and not your dad. We only ask so we know what to watch for, to help you."

Knowing he wouldn’t get away from the topic, Draco gave a sighed nod, "No, it was my dad. He's never done anything like that before and I have no idea what's gotten into him. He’s not been himself since I was eight years old, maybe. He used to be fun and happy, always excited about life, hated dealing with people but he's just how his is about that. But something happened when I was a kid, a younger kid, something that I didn’t witness. I just remember he had a few friends over. Guess they were having their little 'gentleman's meetings' as Aunt Emma used to call it. Mum had a nastier word for it, but I don't like using it, anyway, he had stormed from the study that night angry. A few years later, I found Emma in the study with my father. I was shocked, for the first time in my life they weren't glaring at one another, they weren't screaming or being hateful. He was crying over something and she was… Well, I think she was trying calm him down, trying to help him, but after that he became cold and distant, hateful even. Worst part is, he became terrified of something, and that deep fear is what has made him go a bit nuts. I know my mum has to be worried sick for him, for me since I'm not home. I'm here, I'd like to go home to see her but I'm afraid that if I do my dad will lock me in the Manor and I won't have any way to get out of there. I'm more worried about my mum though, Emma hasn't heard a thing from her at all and neither have I."

Harry didn't blame him for his worries and concerns, he felt terrible for Draco, it had been Lucius that had caused the split lip. They’d hoped it hadn't been, but many times things don't go the way you want them too.


	17. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 17**

* * *

**July 30th, 1993**

Emma smiled as Hermione rushed out the front door of her home, an excited smile on her face as she collided in Emma’s arms. Emma hadn't even had the chance to knock on the door, "Did you enjoy Paris?" Emma laughed.

"Yes, most definitely! But I'm excited to see the boys though. How's Draco readjusting?"

"He's hanging in there, we haven't heard a thing from his mother yet, and no one has inquired about him being there. I did inform both his parents, but no one has responded back." Emma informed the girl, a bit worried herself regarding Sissy’s safety.

Hermione sighed, shoulders slumping, that did make her feel sorry for Draco, she'd heard it all on the train home of what she had missed. He had apologized to her away from others because of how embarrassed he was. She was still a bit uncomfortable with having him around like he was with Harry and Ron. But the Weasley's had gone to Egypt this summer to see their older brother Bill and she had gone to Paris with her parents. The Weasley's wouldn't be returning until a week before school started, so it was just Emma, herself, Harry and Draco at the Manor.

To tip this, Remus had told Emma he'd give her the rest of the summer away from him since he’d clearly upset her enough that she had distanced herself, even though his opinion wouldn't change he shouldn't have said it the way he had. Emma had clarified that she was not leaving him to his transformations alone no matter how upset she was at him. She was not going to abandon him to suffer that pain.

"Hermione, don't forget your trunk, oh and your purse to get your things. Emma do let us know when you're going to Diagon Alley, Henry and I would like to get some more of those muffins we found last year."

"Of course, um, I believe we're going to be going August 23rd, but I will owl you a few weeks before just in case."

"Wonderful, take care dear... Tell Harry Happy Birthday for us." Henry said to them both, a proud smile as he helped them load Hermine’s trunk into the vehicle. 

Emma smiled, watching the young Witch hug her parent's goodbye for the rest of the summer and school.

"I will, love you." Hermione had given her goodbye's and helped Emma load her trunk into the car. Emma hugged the Grangers in return and wished them well and left. "Are you excited?"

"Yes, Harry's first real birthday with us, Ron hasn't been able to owl at all this summer, he's in Egypt. It’s been a bit hard for him to send us Owls and to return the Owl. But I'm sure he wishes he was here for Harry's birthday." Hermione sighed.

To this, Emma grinned, this was going to be an exciting surprise indeed. "Actually, Molly is letting Ron come home for a few days. He should be arriving by floo powder about,” She stopped to look at her watch, a smile spreading wider across her already grinning lips, “Well, now actually. It'll take us about two hours, maybe three, to get back. Have you eaten at all yet?"

"Yes, I ate lunch about thirty minutes ago."

“Alright, just checking. I brought some snacks in case we got hungry on the way and some water."

**Potter Estate**

The two boys sat in the Living room on the floor doing their summer work with a sigh. Emma had told them she had given them the first few weeks of Summer to do it themselves then set the books and papers on the Dining room table and told them that she was going to be gone for a while to get Hermione. By then they should have quite a bit of time to get a few more sheets finished to send off to Hogwarts.

It was noon already and their Aunt had yet to get back, they were starting to worry a bit, "She did say it would be a while," Draco said with a worried sigh.

"Yeah, but still a while in tales a few hours… Right?" Harry said with a sighing, rubbing his eyes from the irritation he was getting from the homework they’d done since waking up that morning.

"It could mean all day, in truth. But, still, now I can't stop worrying about it…"

The fireplace silently burned up, neither one of the boys taking any notice.

Ron grinned wickedly stepping out of the fireplace. _'Oh yes, this'll be fun,'_

Ron had listened to their conversation for a bit as he leaned against the Fireplace, a grin full of pride, "Worry about what?" Ron questioned as he snuck up on the two boys. He laughed when they both jumped and shouted with fright. Ron swore he saw their hearts in their throats.

It was then they three of them took notice that they had gotten taller, their hair a bit longer. Draco was in regular clothes like Harry and Ron, it was a bit weird for Ron at first, he’d never truly seen the Malfoy boy in regular jeans and a tee-shirt before. Normally the Malfoy boy wore usual dress pants and button up shirt like he'd have been made to wear while at home. He looked friendlier and, dare he say, happier. And Draco would admit that he felt comfortable in his skin and clothes.

They all smiled and laughed. Harry and Draco jumped from their seated positions in the living area on the floor and rushed the Weasley boy, each taking a turn to welcome their friend.

"Ron, you made it, but I thought you were in Egypt?" Harry was excited. He had been worried he’d never see Ron, his very first friend, one of his best friends, his for his first real happy birthday.

Ron laughed at Harry's excitement, "Auntie and Mum came up with the idea to surprise you for your birthday."

"Hey, Weasley, nice to hear from ya." Draco laughed at using Ron’s last name.

"Hey, Malfoy." The two boys joked with one another, leaving them all giggling at the crazy fun it gave them rather distasteful rivalry it used to be.

It had gone from humiliating the boy to now an equal ground of joking with one another. But it was also a reminder for Draco that had he not gone about his path the way he had that he would no doubt have a very painful life ahead of him.

Harry laughed at their interaction, they were still calling one another ‘Weasley’ and ‘Malfoy’, "When are you two going to just say your first names?" he questioned.

Both boys looked at one another, laughed and turned to Harry with a grin and pulled one of the twins' moves "Because," Ron started.

Draco took over with a grin, "It's weird,"

Turning it back over to Ron to finish, "Makes it more fun."

Harry laughed, shaking his head, "Well alright. Ron how much summer work did you get done?"

With that, Ron groaned and set a bag on the floor, his shoulders slumping with exhaustion, "Like half of it, how much have you two finished?"

Harry nodded with a tired shrug, "A bit more than half."

Draco rubbed the back of his neck, "Not even half. They gave me so much work it's crazy."

Ron nodded in agreement, "Yeah, same. I think I got like six to eight sheets per class from last year. Let me guess, Aunt Emma caught you two trying to not have to do it, and now you have to do it?"

At their nods, Ron nodded along with them, "First Uncle Remus then Emma calls us on it.” Draco sighed tiredly.

Nodding with understanding Ron sighed with slight laughter, “Yeah, she always is that good. I think mum has been training her on some things. Hey, has Uncle Remus been around lately? Mum and Dad said he's been acting strange lately. Dad said it probably had something to do with this crazy bloke that escaped from Azkaban, Sirius something."

Draco tensed from the name. It always did make him uncomfortable as he gave Ron a look of fright, "Sirius Black?" Draco questioned.

Ron looked at Draco with worry as he nodded.

"Yeah, I think that was the guy’s name. He was put in Azkaban for killing some people or handing over information to the Dark Lord some years ago." Ron went on, he’d only heard a little bit of the conversation, but he’d heard it none the less. Sirius Black was not a Wizard to mess with.

"Sirius Black was put into Azkaban because he was, apparently, a supporter of you – know – who. Not only that, but he also apparently the deaths of 12 muggles before they finally caught him, and the rumor is Harry, that Sirius was the one who handed your family over to _him_."

Both Harry and Ron looked rather confused at the blond, curious as to how he knew any of that, but the news didn’t stop Potter from being any less shocked.

"How do you know this?" Ron asked him in wonder.

Draco really didn’t want to say, but he wasn’t going to lie to them, "Because, he's my mum's cousin." Draco said with a bit of a grumble.

A thought snapped into Ron’s mind as they spoke on the topic, and he realized he may know why Sirius Blacks’ name and face looked and sounded slightly familiar. "Wait, Harry. Do you still have that photo album Remus gave you our first year?"

With the idea now in place, the three boys rushed up to Harry's room and waited for him to shuffle through the bookshelf.

Harry smiled, setting the photo album on the bed and watched Ron turn the pages until he finally stopped on a close up of the Wizard. The photo capturing none other than Sirius and Emma.

"I think I finally know why the name not only sounded familiar, but why his wanted poster looked familiar. Sirius Black knew Aunt Emma and your folks Harry." Ron spoke with utter shock.

They stood there in his room staring at the photo of a young Sirius Black spinning a younger Emma around in a circle, lifting her up in the air, both smiling and laughing, "I don't see a traitor, I see a happy man who loved our aunt. Look at all of these pictures, Emma is always happy, that man, that Sirius Black is happy. Look at everyone else, my dad is happy, Remus is happy and so is Aunt Emma. The only one that doesn't look happy is that one, uh, Peter Pettigrew. You can’t fake the look Black has." Harry sighed. He didn’t want to believe it. The very pictures he had of his parents and Aunt happy all had this man in it. He didn’t want to believe that the very person that could have his parents and Aunt smile with such brightness could have betrayed them in such a way.

Ron and Draco looked at him saddened, they didn't want to be the ones to break his bubble, but no one else was there but them and he had a right to know whatever they knew, even if it wasn't much, "Harry, Peter Pettigrew was murdered twelve years ago **by** Sirius Black."

"And how do we know he wasn't framed? I knew the name sounded familiar myself. Draco, when we had dinner that one night, Aunt Emma and Uncle Remus argued in the kitchen when we came up to get ready for bed, remember?" Harry questioned the boy.

To this, Draco nodded, he did remember that. Emma had rushed outside into the woods, but she’d been covered by a large tree leaving the boys unable to really see her. But they had heard Remus shout at Emma, telling her that a certain person never loved her if he had done whatever he had to her and her family. She had slapped him after that. A slap they heard echo upstairs, "Yeah, Remus got slapped that night when they argued."

"Exactly, I heard Uncle Remus say to her, " _I have tried the last nine years to get you to see that the figure in your mind was Sirius, he snuck into your hospital room and tried erasing your memory so he could frame Peter and came back looking like a hero in our eyes, in your eyes.”_ He even told her that Sirius had played them all from the start, but Aunt Emma wasn't having any of it, which means they clearly have different views on what happened. Emma was there the night my parents were killed, Uncle Remus wasn't. If her memory was messed with, I doubt Sirius did it-" 

"Harry, you don't know that for sure-" 

"Ron! Look at the way he looks at her! Look at his eyes, the smile on his face… No one, and I mean no one, can fake that!” Harry shouted. He had to defend him, he knew

Seeing both boys share a saddened and skeptical expression Harry huffed with obvious irritation, “Fine!" Harry grumbled and stormed to his desk. Grabbing the picture of his parents he set the two moving photos next to one another, "Compare them." he was determined to believe Sirius couldn’t have betrayed his family.

Draco and Ron sighed, they gave in and entertained him, it was his birthday tomorrow after all. But as they looked between the two photos of the spinning couples as they laughed and did their lovely couples sweet kiss, they realized that Harry was right. There was no difference between the two pictures besides the couples in them. Each one had a deep look of joy and love. The look Sirius had deeply rooted into him was something the three could see like an open book.

Ron continued staring at the photos, flipping through the pages and glancing back over to Harry’s parents’ picture, "So, if he was framed, and that’s a big if Harry,”

“So, the question is, who would have done it?" Draco finished. All three boys shared a look of deep curiosity.

"You're Aunt seems to believe Sirius is innocent herself Harry, but she has no proof of it, unfortunately. And I apologize to you both for that night. We, I, hadn't meant for either of you to hear us. But I suppose you couldn't help hearing the wonderful slap I had been very deserving of. Truthfully, I believe she had been holding in for some years now."

The three boys held back as much as they could, but Harry couldn't resist, his curiosity was just as bad as his Aunts and fathers. He was always getting himself into situations like Emma, the life-threatening situations.

Remus supposed Harry had both sides of the Evans and Potter curiosity, a magnet for trouble like both sides of the family, so Remus wasn't surprised one bit when Harry had finally piped up and asked, "Who is Sirius Black?"

Remus stared at the three boys with a deep sigh trying to think of what to do and say. Harry had a right to know, a right to ask, but he didn't want him to think terribly of Emma when he explained his opinion to the boy when she wasn't there to defend herself, but he chose to stick with the truth in small doses, "Sirius Black, was a friend of mine, along with Peter Pettigrew, and your fathers'. He was also engaged to your Aunt… Harry you must understand, Emma has been in love with Sirius since the moment her eyes found him, and he too fell in love with her just as swiftly. They truly did, do, love each other. But when the War began, everything changed. My last year at school, when your father and the rest of us graduated, Dumbledore asked me to look into the allied members that were fighting in the War against this dark Wizard, we had a rat in our mists. I must have overlooked something because I couldn't find him. A year after you were born things really fell for us all and your parents went into hiding. They were told they were targets, along with you, Emma and Mellena. Now, your parents had a secret keeper, that was Sirius Black. However, according to Emma, Sirius had felt the need to change Keepers at the last moment and supposedly they did. But, when you were all attacked Sirius Black was nowhere near your family's safe house, he's claimed over the years that Pettigrew was the replacement, but Pettigrew was murdered by Sirius, therefore leaving us unable to question him. That only left Sirius. He was found among the rubble of the attack he caused in order to kill Pettigrew, but in the process the blast killed twelve Muggles and knocked Sirius unconscious, which was how he was caught. However, if you'd see your Aunts memories, you'll see why we're all confused. Nothing is a lie and it makes everything more confusing. Sirius Black’s case file was sealed and has been difficult to reopen. The Ministry refused Emma, and myself for years. I only want to see it because there are things that still do not make sense. However-” 

"You still believe Sirius killed my parents." Harry was having enough, Remus was making some since, but then he also wasn’t making any since. Constantly going back and forth between condemning Sirius then saying he wasn’t involved in the deaths. At least that was how he was taking the conversation.

"No,” Remus clarified a bit sharply, he didn’t want to admit that at the beginning he had believed that, but as the years had moved forward Remus had come to the conclusion that Sirius wouldn’t have the heart to personally harm James, not even Emma. But in handing over the locations he did just that, another thing Remus was still confused about, “But, I believe he gave Voldemort their location. He was there at the safe house, dropped them off, checked the perimeter himself with no extra eyes. Sirius did everything on his own. He's a skilled tracker, better than myself, which puts me to shame really, he’s an excellent hunter, which again, puts me to shame in some ways. He could have easily gotten the enemies in through the charms and that would have given them full access to getting in and out without anyone knowing." Remus said to simply clear up his reasons, but he did make it clear that there were still many unanswered things that could have been in the Wizards file after Alastor closed it. That was another thing that bothered them all, Alastor Moody should have been able to access the file with ease, yet he too had been threatened with his job if he continued trying to gain access to said file.

Ron and the others looked confused, their brows scrunched in confusion, "So, you think something is in that file that would clear up a lot? Like what?"

Remus nodded to the Weasley boy, "Yes, I think that. His file was closed by Mad-eye, reopened by the Ministry and then permanently sealed from view of others except from those who resealed it themselves. Unfortunately, that could be anyone in the Ministry of Magic or even the Hogwarts School and the schools Governors that had access to it, even the Auror department."

This left the three boys sighing in defeat, Harry even more so, "So it could have been anyone and Sirius was still convicted?"

"Yes, convicted without a trial unfortunately, I agree he should have had a fair trial for him to try arguing for his innocence, but he wasn't given the chance. I went to witness a confession in Azkaban but instead of using a truth serum they tortured him. I couldn't stay to watch through to the end. He screamed and screamed his innocence, even told them to ask Emma, but I only had enough heart, and not to mention little stomach, to continue watching and listening to what was happening, I had to leave, but I had told him Emma was of no use. I didn’t even have the heart to tell him her memory had been tampered with. Meaning, they couldn't use anything from her to free him. And that is what unfortunately sealed him in Azkaban, because of how tampered her memory had been. The only thing it shows is a shadow and a very badly distorted voice, you can't make anything out of it. We've tried having her imagine Sirius there and she refuses. We told her to imagine Pettigrew there and she found it hard to do even that, the memory has been untouched and unaltered besides what the intruder had done and that was trying to erase them from her mind completely. Molly was actually the one that had stopped it from continuing. Molly tried to go in to see your Aunt, but the door had been locked. When she panicked, Molly began screaming, the intruder went out the window and that was pretty much what sent Emma into her three year a coma."

The boys were sickened by this.

Draco scrunched up his face in slight aggravation, then piped up, utterly horrified, "I don't blame her! She had just made it out of surgery barely alive after barely surviving the attack from Voldemort himself then her mind was messed with!” Draco was appalled.

"Remus Lupin," The woman’s tone sent shivers down all four male's spines as they looked in the doorway. The person standing there had them wanting to shiver just a little.

Emma stood there, leaning against the door frame, a stern expression on her face pointed at Remus, "I think you and I need to have a talk."

"Now Emma, they asked and all I said was the truth, facts really, and my option. Nothing was wrongly spoke of about anyone." He clarified, his hands held up to her, a sign of slight submission but also defense. He was not going to let her tell him he was wrong when he had the facts straight but a few missing links that still bothered him.

The thing was, they were both right and wrong. Remus had facts that were wrongly placed on Sirius and Emma had no idea who the real keeper had been that had betrayed them, she was constantly thinking it was someone outside of their close friend group that wouldn't be suspected, but she couldn't think of who everyone had alibis and Sirius was apparently the only other choice, but she knew he wasn't the one that gave her sister and brother-in-law. However, her curiosity had yet again gotten the better of her as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Oh, really? Then why did you never tell me you visited with Sirius? Hm?" She really never knew he had gone to see Sirius when he was in Azkaban, not at all, and she as curious as to why, even though she and Hermione had heard nearly the entire conversation, Emma wanted Remus to tell her himself. Maybe then they could finally get that conversation figured out and settled.

"I didn't think you needed to know. It was right after your mind shut down. You were still in a coma. Three years later it was a bit late to tell you anything."

Okay, that she could see reason with. With a sighed shrug Emma looked to her nephews, she was pleased to find that none of their eyes held pity, nor judgment. With a sigh, she rubbed her forehead with exhaustion and worry. Emma looked to Harry and sighed once more, "Well, I don't see why we shouldn't discuss this now that you know, Harry."

They all saw her reaction, pain clear in her eyes, something that she had yet to be able to mask over the years. Emma's eyes could still betray her to easily. They knew the topic was painful for her and that was the last thing they wanted to do to her, but they knew, and they had questions. Questions she was willing to answer at the moment.

"What was he like?" They saw Harry’s hope swelling up in his eyes.

They watched her smile, how happy she was while remembering him, "Funny, a prankster like your dad, those two always did get into trouble. They'd take Remus and Peter along with them and the four would get into trouble. Sirius was caring to others, but he had his mean strike, he could be a bully sometimes, especially to Severus. But, after a while they left him alone. The photo's pretty much match his personality really. He loved to have fun, loved laughing and having others laughing around him, he was smart, occasionally he'd pull a dumb prank and he hated schoolwork. Honestly, Harry. If you want to know what your dad was like, look in a mirror and you'll find both him and you mum. Sirius, all you have to do is look at Draco. They had the same kind of upbringing-"

At this, Draco scuffed at the thought of being similar to Sirius Black, but if Emma was making comparisons maybe she saw the similarities where they didn't want to, "Let me guess, pure-blood family, hateful to anyone that wasn't like them, hated muggle sympathizers, hateful towards muggle borns. Very 'proper', old fashioned mannered, rich taste and very cold? Cruel to others that work for them and others and those they find below their station? Yeah, sounds familiar."

Remus grinned and nodded, "Yes, pretty much," he said looking over to Emma. Her brow rose with a side-ways grin as she looked at the blond, "Yeah, you basically hit the nail straight into the railroad perfectly as to his family's background." Emma said with a nod of her head ad a small grin.

They all giggled at Draco when he’d chuckled and rolled his eyes with a playful poke at the idea, "Fantastic, so I’m pretty much a blond Sirius Black, only I have the last name Malfoy, oh the irony. My father would probably have a heart attack and die if he ever heard me say that." Everyone, even Draco, began laughing when he had made his poke, it was hilarious, yet very true. Lucius would likely have a heart attack after disowning the poor boy.

Remus smiled and hugged Emma one armed, he knew she was still angry with him, he'd stopped by to check on the boys while she was off getting Hermione. He had no idea she'd be home that fast, otherwise he'd have gone to the house a bit earlier to avoid angering her more. Remus would always forget that no matter how angry she would get with them, The Marauder's, she would always forgive them. He knew, however, that something was bothering her deeply. He had no idea that it was the very absence of Sirius Black at the cabin she had been checking every few days since the 15th.

Sirius hadn't gone to the cabin at all, in fact he had found Peter's scent and began tracking it, unfortunately his scent was where he couldn't go… The Potter's Estate, inside with Remus and Emma. Where the children were. And Remus had no idea that they were safeguarding a cowering traitor, otherwise he was sure Remus would have had the rat screaming for mercy and Sirius would have been freed from his prison ages ago. Unless Remus knew himself, something that was highly unlikely. So, instead of going to the cabin, Sirius had hunted around the grounds to stay close, if he had too, he'd storm the Estate if he found they needed help. He wasn't going to abandon Harry and Emma like he had last time, _'I'm not leaving you alone with that rat, I'll die before you both are hurt again.'_

**July 31, 1993**

Harry's birthday was spent with joy, laughter and fun and wonderful food. They had fun, but most of all, Harry finally knew the joys of having a Happy Birthday with his loved ones who loved him back and his friends.

During the short nights spent with the boys and Emma, Hermione had gotten used to Draco shockingly quick after she realized the boys had been right about him. He was a lot different than he'd first given off and she was glad he was being himself. He was fun and caring, he enjoyed life, the freedom he had to be himself. To smile and laugh with friends, real friends. Hermione had learned he had only been as cruel and cold as he had been because of his huge jealousy towards the three teenagers' for having such a friendship. Something he was always missing from his life and hadn't known what a real friend was until he began craving it all. But it had also been how he'd been raised the past twelve years of his life that he hadn't really understood how to handle his jealousy towards them for something he thought he had a lot of, when really all he had was a family name with centuries of power, arrogance and money behind him.

They were all laughing and enjoying their late night, Draco had snuck up behind Hermione and hoisted her up and over his shoulder and ran around the living room, "Come on Ron, if you love her so much why not take her from me." He laughed.

Harry laughed and clapped along to the up-bet music playing over the radio as Ron chased Draco and a laughing Hermione around the living room shouting at the laughing blond.

"I don't love her Malfoy! I'm just trying to get her away from you!" this only made them laugh harder, they all knew Ron had a small crush on Hermione, besides Hermione who just laughed at the idea.

Hermione laughed as she playfully smacked Draco’s back, "Draco, put me down will you!"

To this, Draco grinned and set her down gently and tapped the tip of her nose with a playful grin, "Okay," They all knew he was just being playful, even Hermione knew, but that didn't stop her from kissing his cheek, "Thank you," Everyone stood shocked.

Emma grinning as she leaned against the wall of the living room as she watched. 

_'It's almost like we're all back together again in different forms of a different generation. All we're missing is one of the five members.'_

She smiled with memories as the four laughed and danced around to the songs playing on the radio. Ron and Draco taking turns dancing with Hermione then Harry pulled Emma into a playful dance.

It was late when everyone was finally getting ready for bed, about ten minutes to eleven at night a heavy and thunderous banging came from the front door, startling them all. Wands at the ready, Emma moved to the front landing after ushering the teenagers into the kitchen to have a fast escape through the garden if need be. She had her hand on the doorknob when she heard a familiar voice, one she really didn't want to deal with.

"Emma! Please, I know you are there. Open the door, I did not come to start trouble, I promise you that. I am simply here for Draco Malfoy… Upon his father's **demanding** request." It was Fudge, and he sounded just as irritated as she was becoming, a whole month to that very day, she had Draco under the very roof and now his father wanted his son back? She was at a loss and confused, but not as confused as Draco and the other three teenagers who had moved from the kitchen swiftly.

"What! A month I've been gone, and he wants me back now! No-" He had advanced on the still closed doors, that was separating Fudge from Draco.

Emma quickly held a hand up in front of her, a silent request for him to calm down and to stop. "Draco, please… Calm yourself." His outburst was understandable, he was not only confused by this lateness, he was hurt. His father had waited an entire month before going into action, but all he had to do was send word for him to go home. Instead, Lucius had sent Fudge to collect him, and from the power behind the vicious knock to the front doors, Draco could say Fudge had brought a few Auror's with him. Possibly ‘courteous’ of his father as well.

Emma sighed, she knew she had no legal right to keep Draco there, even if he wanted to stay, she had to open the door whether she liked it or not, otherwise she'd be arrested herself and the kids would be left unattended with no one to care for them, if that happened then she really wouldn't be able to help Narcissa and Draco.

Draco's heart sank to his stomach. He saw the pleading look on Emma's face and the sadness as she silently asked his forgiveness, as she opened the door slowly to see Fudge and three Auror's standing off the side of him on the steps of the manor, two of the teenagers stood either side of him, Harry stood just a bit in front of Draco.

"Emma, I see you and Harry are doing well. Ah, Draco, dear boy. Please pack your things and come along. Your father has-" 

"No, I'm not going. He and my mum have had a whole month to write me for me come home, why send you? They haven't said a word to Emma or myself." Draco growled and eyed the Minister.

Fudge only sighed with understanding, "I thought as much. Unfortunately, Draco, I must take you home. Even if your mother pleaded to allow you to stay, your father made a very big uproar in the Minister about your absence at home, your cousin also seems to be causing the same, both claiming they have written you and had been rejected every time, calling them beasts and monsters. However, they didn’t have the letters to prove this, both claiming they'd been so upset that they'd tossed them into the flames of the fireplace."

Harry rolled his eyes and chuckled sarcastically, "Then why make him go back?"

"Because dear boy, Lucius has made an issue of it, bringing it directly to the Minister and the Auror's department, once we take him home we shall be sending an aid to check in on them, namely Draco, to see if he is safe," Fudge explained to them, he really did want to make sure the boy was safe.

Lucius had been acting strangely, and after he was removed from the Hogwarts Governors chair at the end of the school year, he'd gotten stranger. Fudge was concerned mainly for Draco because of his cousin, Finn Malfoy. His mother, Adora Malfoy, was a psychotic Witch who just was not right. She had, in Fudge's opinion, gotten much worse after her husband had been killed in the first War. His body had been found in a pile of Death Eaters that had been killed when they attacked a small wizarding community. However, that community happened to house Alastor Moody at the time. The retired Auror had killed every last Death Eater that had attacked simply because it was difficult to bind them all to arrest. Then again, when it was just one Auror against ten what else could you really do? Mad eye had nearly been killed himself. "Something is not right about that cousin of yours my dear boy."

Fudge hadn't meant to say it and he felt absolutely terrible for telling a young boy that a family member was mentally out of sorts, but his nerves had lowered when Draco nodded and replied, "No kidding, the guy's a nutter really. Met the kid several times growing up, his mother was a real piece of work, but every time I asked my parents what was wrong with them, I'd get scolded by my father saying it was cruel to say such things of family. Though, I don't see where he has much room to speak about family since he's practically locked my mother in that damned manor they call home."

"And you don't call it home any longer?" Fudge asked, he really didn't want to get involved with the Malfoy family, he also did not want to be on the wrong side of them either. He hated even having to do this since Draco was in the home and protection of Emma, a woman he was really beginning to get frustrated with but was a bit frightened of her. She had a temper. However, he understood she had every available right to be, especially with him after eight years of refusing her at every turn for Harry, and even more so when it came to Sirius. His concern was he didn't want her to attempt to help him in escaping Azkaban. Though, that seemed to have fallen through also. But, when it came to Harry, he really didn't have an excuse, nor a reason, he simply didn't feel it necessary to move the boy from one home to another and uproot his life. Yet, after having been told what the Dursley's had done, he somewhat regretted the choices of refusing Emma his custody. T had only been thanks to Maggie and Susan that Harry was with Emma. 

The thought of Maggie made his heart tightened. She had been on of Adora's latest victims. Maggie, her son and muggle husband, had been one of the hundred victims Adora had poisoned a few months ago in the muggle world. It had been labeled a rare outbreak of Cholera.

"Draco, please. Pack your things, I must take you home. Come, you'll see your friends once you've returned to school." Fudge was simply trying to do his job and take the boy home, "I promise I shall send someone to check on you in a few days-time to see of your well-being."

With a defeated sigh Draco slumped his shoulders and nodded, "Give me ten minutes."

And with that, Draco was taken from the Potter Estate, and back to the Malfoy Manor. The days were annoying and mentally tiring for him. His father continued to dote on Finn, who was just as cruel as his father and as mad as Adora. Draco was ignored and stuck to his mother who continued to whisper to her son, "Stay clear of him, Draco. He's dangerous, when you can, sneak out the window of your room, there's a broom in the brush, get back to Emma."

"But they'll come right back for me, and dad will lock me up here just like he has you."

"Draco, Emma has other homes you can-"

"Narcissa, don’t think I haven't figured out your little plan. Finn here has found the broom, Wife… Draco, go to your room." Lucius sneered at his wife.

Finn's wicked grin came to light, an evil glint shimmered over his grey eyes, his dark brown hair almost looked as black as night. If anyone would describe him, Finn would have been described as a charming child of the night, but he had the Malfoy charm, and the wickedness of his mother's side, a name Draco didn't know the origins of at all.

A chilled shiver slithered up Draco’s spine when his cousin directed the look from his mother, to him, "Uncle Lucius, I have a better idea, why don't Draco and I go for a swim, I haven't had any time to spend with my **_dear cousin_** , I've missed spending time with him over the years."

Lucius smiled and patted Finn on the shoulder, "Ah, a wonderful idea. Draco humor your cousin will you. Good. Now you two go, I need a word with my wife."

Lucius had walked away, Narcissa close to him as they vanished behind the study doors and off where no one could hear their conversation. Leaving Draco in the shadows with a beast of a cousin, one that was devious and didn't care who was hurt in his wake, as long as he got a laugh from it, "Now, how about that swim, cousin, or how about we dual, or fight? Fighting is good for the soul. I was always told if you can fight there shouldn't be any need to run like much of the families these days seems to do. Do you know how to fight? No? Then how about I teach you."


	18. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 18**

* * *

**September 1, 1993**

Draco sighed with relief as he got on the train. Crabbe and Goyle had appeared out of nowhere about two weeks after he had been returned to his father. The two had taken to Finn like flies to a horse’s arse. Draco’s torture had just gotten worse, he could no longer keep a protective charm around his room to keep them out, they always seemed to find a way around it, and he had barely gotten a proper nights' sleep. He was just glad to be going back to Hogwarts. His mother had told him she was able to send word to Dumbledore on the rotten relationship between the boys and her son. Unfortunately, Narcissa had been told that Draco could be moved to a different room from the three boys, but that was all he was able to do since they were unable to move houses after being sorted. So maybe Draco would be lucky to get sleep if he wasn't near them, but he had a sinking suspicion that it would also be a failed effort in keeping those three from him. He was, after all, a Slytherin. But now he wished he was in a different house at this moment.

Draco already had his stuff in the baggage car and a small book-bag on his back as he leaned against a pillar, waiting for Harry, Ron and Hermione to get there. He was glad school was starting, he needed away from the manor and everything that was going on. He had snuck around and dug up some things on his cousin and his aunt Adora's maiden family name, even his own Malfoy family history, and it was interesting because it dated back all the way to the 13th century if he'd counted right. It turned out that Adora was in fact a Lestrange relative, her mother had an affair with Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange's father, she was born just five months after Rabastan.

Draco smiled wide when he found his three friends rushing up to him once they found him off in the distance and decided to meet them halfway. Hermione had beat the boys to him first and tossed her arms around him in a tight hug, "Are you alright? We didn't get a single letter from you, what happened?"

"Let the poor man breath, Hermione," Ron laughed, patting the blond on the back when they gave one another their hug, "Glad to see you're still alive. Aunt Emma has been having a panic attack all summer after you left."

"Trust me, I came so close so many times over the summer of escaping that place, but I always got caught. Come on, I made sure Finn and the others were already on the train, there was no way I was spending another second with that prat." Draco slightly growled. He had disliked the boy the first moment he met Finn, something deep inside him. Something that was manifesting, Finn had woken him up in the middle of the night while home.

The boy was always screaming so fearfully that Narcissa had turned to attempt to help him.

**_“No more! Please, mum! No more! I didn’t d-do it! I didn’t do it! I didn’t touch anything! I swear! I didn’t do it! MUM!”_ **

Draco remembered clearly when his mother had held him as she rocked the boy back to sleep. Finn had been so deep in his sleep he hadn’t realized he’d even woken them up. He never even remembered Narcissa rocking him back to sleep. Draco shivered at the memory of Finn finally in a position of vulnerability, something that finally showed himself as a scared child, the first and only time Draco saw Finn as a human being, a boy his age who’d likely been hurt by his mother terribly, likely terrified of her. Draco figured that whatever had happened to him as he was growing up in the care of his mother that it had left him nearly petrified of mothers, another possibility why Finn had latched onto his father so quickly. Finn refused to be in arms reach of Narcissa.

Harry nodded in agreement, from what Draco had quickly told them, the kid was a special one, as in cruelly special, "I don't blame you. Hey, is that a fading bruise on your face?"

"Oh, yeah, Mum and dad had to separate us. Got into a few fights with him over the summer. Sad to say he won half of them, but I was never much of a physical fighter in the first place."

"Yeah but you learned a few moves didn't you, _Dracie_?" a boy's voice boomed out full of snide sarcasm and laughter, but his laughter quickly stopped as he turned his charm over to Hermione, sliding between the three boys he stood only an inch or two from her, a charming grin across his face, "Well, well, well, cousin you've been holding out haven't you. Had I known you were friends with this creature I may have been nicer to you over summer… However, I can smell the muggle born blood in her, such a shame." Finn bit out.

Draco and the others shoved themselves between Finn and Hermione. The poor girl seemed to be having a bit of a difficult time breathing. His eyes were screaming as they looked at her. A mask is all she saw at that moment. One she’d soon forget about. Finn was indeed handsome, he held a certain charm to him with a thick air of arrogance and ego, something Hermione figured he seemed to excel in.

"Bugger off, Lestrange..." It took everything in Draco not to hit him for getting that close to Hermione, that was far to close and personal, and for someone like Hermione, that was not only a threat, Finn had just marked his target and Draco wasn't sure what he intended to do with this one. And he didn’t want to find out.

Finn grinned, his eyes still seemed to find her, none of the boy liked the way Finn’s grey eyes looked through them at Hermione.

But his eyes still screamed and with utter shock Hermione watched the screaming being shoved back and replaced by his arrogance.

"I believe I should warn you Kitten, don't think it won't stop me from looking from afar."

Hermione shrank into Ron's arms he had protectively wrapped around her, Harry standing next to Draco in front of her and Ron. She felt small to his eyes and she was becoming even more uncomfortable, if anything she felt more threatened now. The shiver that ran up her spine didn't help her either as they watched Finn walk away.

His eyes found it difficult to look away from her, the idea of her scared had left a grin on his face, he liked scaring other, a way of keeping his mind from thinking of his own fears and nightmares. He may have felt self-sickened that he was reacting to a muggle born, a mud-blood girl, but he hadn't been able to help it. The moment Finn had laid eyes on Hermione, his heart skipped three beats and he had a feeling he was going to enjoy playing with his new target.

They all made a body cage around Hermione as they got on the train, not wanting to have another recap of what had just happened. Hermione seemed to be, not only jumpy, but rather irritated as she shoved herself through the three of them and opened a compartment door, "Everyone's full come on, and no bodyguards, please. I'll be fine." Hermione barked out.

Seeing her irritation, they understood when to back off a little. Sitting in the compartment they got comfortable not noticing Remus in the corner against the window with his jacket covering his face as they spoke.

"So, wait a minute? My dad took you off to the side in the Leaky Cauldron and told you Sirius Black escaped to come after you? To kill you?"

Harry nodded, rubbing his face from exhaustion, he was tired of being chased, tired of being the target, tired of everything. He just wanted a normal life, normal friends. Harry didn't want it to be about him and his Aunt. They both wanted freedom, peace and just to have a life like a normal magical family, "Yeah, pretty much." Harry knew his Aunt wanted the same thing. Normalcy, peace and to have her family back in safety.

"Well, that's interesting." Ron sighed, they'd decided to change the subject to what they were looking forward to their third year and it was all about Hogsmeade. They had spoken about what to look forward to while they were there, and they had endless possibilities. But their creative fun was rudely interrupted by the train jarring to a sudden halt, nearly sending the kids into one another and Ron into Remus's sleeping form waking the man.

Remus had a feeling he knew what or who it was, so he waited and kept covered. especially since he was so rudely woken from his sleep.

Ron was panicking, the train was nearly freezing through everyone's breath was cold in the air and the kids were panting with fear. Something wasn't right, something was on the train with them and it was looking for trouble, from anyone, "What the bloody hell was that?"

"Not a clue-Ouch! Ron that was my foot." Hermione looked around the compartment, her mood had sunk to her stomach, her heart was nearly in her throat. She knew they were all panicking but hearing Ron's panic really didn't help her keep what little composer she had, "There's something out there."

Draco gulped as his eyes grew wide and watched the door latch click open, his heart went down to his stomach and did the usual and began to digest, "No, there's something on the train… Look."

Everyone's breath caught as they watched a cloaked figure flout into to the compartment, unfortunately it started right for Harry.

Draco reacted, putting himself between Harry and whatever the thing was, but it was no use, the second Draco moved the creatures hand gripped him around the throat and lifted him up and against the wall and began draining Harry. Draco fought against the creature, but he'd never seen one of these things before, therefore, he had no idea how to get free nor get it away from Harry.

Hermione's panic was clear, just as Ron was shaking in his skin as they watched, they knew they couldn't physically do anything to help, look where it got Draco, "What's happening!"

Remus swiftly moved, a burst of light coming through his wand and chasing off the creature, and light's out for Harry as Draco fell back into the seat a bit painfully. Everyone's attention was back on the fainted Harry Potter.

Hermione helped Ron readjust Harry to a lying position, they were all still shaken of course, they had no idea what to do, had no idea how to help him, "Is he alright?" They had turned their attention back to Remus and found full relief that they had picked the very compartment that he was in. They were very thankful when he grinned and nodded, "Yes, he'll be fine. Now we just have to wait for him to wake up- ah, here he is. There we go, come on Harry."

They were all relieved when he sat up, a bit disoriented understandably. But they couldn't help but laugh a little at him, "What was that thing?"

"It was a Dementor-" 

“Why the heck was it on the train in the first place!" Remus hadn’t been able to finish his explanation upon Draco interrupting. The blond was still clearly bothered and a bit ticked that it had not only attacked him and Harry but that it was on a train full of Hogwarts students, his concern was understandable.

Sighing with slight exhaustion, Remus nodded looking at each one of them, "They were looking for Sirius Black likely. Oh yes, here you are Harry, eat this… It's alright, it's chocolate, it helps… Trust me." He smiled gladly when Harry began to nibble on the dark piece of Chocolate with a heavy sigh, likely disturbed from the attack. His relief of the kid's safety was short lived upon his notice of Draco paling. An action and expression that unsettled Remus deeply. "Draco, are you alright?"

Draco never gave a response as he rushed from the cabin and down the hall, he was thankful he had seen the kids in a compartment on their way in. Draco had heard Emma on the phone with Mellena talking about having the kids ride the train to Hogwarts with the Weasley’s, likely the twins since they were the ones’ that seemed to enjoy the twin's company more than others, but he hadn't seen them with the twins in the compartment they had walked by. Draco sighed with relief when he opened a compartment door and found the two Dumbledore kids, obviously distressed, but otherwise alright. He felt terrible because he hadn't really had the chance to meet them properly, but he had to know they were alright, so he played it off like he was going through the compartments to check on everyone, "Everyone alright in here?"

Athella was tightly hidden in her brothers arms protectively, both kids clearly not alright, the fact they were in a cabin with first years also didn't seem to sit well with Draco either as he watched the poor girl's face streamed with tears, "Ho-Horus, I want Fred and George." She sniffed, she was shaking, and her brother was in no better condition. He wasn't crying but he was sure petrified, "M-me too, Rosie."

Draco was just glad they were alright. He checked on the rest in the compartment and helped them calm down, then looked to the twins with a smile, "I know where the Weasley twins are, want me to walk you to them?" he asked, smiling when they nodded and held both his hand out for them and walked them down the corridor towards the Weasley twins after checking on the other kids in the compartment then requested a group of passing by Hufflepuff students to stay with the first years. They gladly did as asked.

All occupants looked shocked as ever when they watched Draco open the door to their compartment, "Uh, I think you two have some little visitors." Draco said with a small smile as he moved out of the way for the little ones.

The Weasley twins' mouths fell with surprise. They had thought they were going to be up front with the conductor, so how did Malfoy find them? And why did he bring them to the Weasley twins? Though, they hadn't cared when the two eight-year old’s rushed in. Athella beaming for Fred in a hurry. He’d taken her with a smile as she cried, "You're alright Ellie… Hey, Thanks, Malfoy."

"Not a problem, the Dementor's should be gone now, but I think the conductor and the rest of the adults are checking the train just to be sure. Uh, if any of you need anything, I'm in the compartment with the others and Remus just down the corridor, usual compartment." He informed them.

The twins nodded, George had to ask something to the blond, he and his twin really hadn't a clue as to why Draco was so suddenly not a git anymore, he was funny, and Ron had been so excited to hang out with him and the others over summer for Harry's birthday, "Yeah, thanks. Careful on the way back, in case the thing is still here, is everyone else alright?"

"Uh, y-yeah, Harry got attacked but Remus was there, sent it flying off in a hurry. The man is a genius when it comes to defense, he's the replacement teacher this year I think."

Angela smiled and picked up a blushing Horus and set him on her lap, "At least he's okay, all of you." Her and George were constantly glancing at one another with wide smiles. George would admit, she looked cute with a blushing kid in her lap, and Horus seemed to be perfectly fine where he was.

The rest of the train ride was fine, smooth as it had always been, up until they got to the school, that was when things seemed to roll downhill just a little for the four friends. With Draco being stuck alone at the Slytherin table, the other three kept a close eye on the blond in case he needed some assistance where they could give, meaning they'd be restricted to prank’s, Hexes and Jinxes.

Their irritation was just beginning when a sharp whisper came from behind them, a laughing group of Slytherins grouping around Finn Malfoy, "Potter,"

Choosing to ignore Finn's annoying attempt to get a rise from the Gryffindor's. But it wasn't meant to be.

Finn was persistent, "Potter, hey… Potter, you're Aunts a hottie." That got his attention and the rest of the family as they glared at him and the others as they laughed, "Is it true? You actually fainted?"

Everyone at the Gryffindor table all rolled their eyes, Ron took it upon himself to make Harry turn around as he tossed back to the laughing dark haired Malfoy "Shut up, Lestrange."

“Technically I’m a Malfoy. But either one is fine by me.” Finn poked out, holding back a grin as he watched Draco crumble up a piece of paper and tossed it at his head not believing Draco would be brave enough to toss something at another in his house with the staff watching. He hadn’t expected the piece of paper to actually hit him. Finn’s laugh ceased seconds after Draco got him with the bunched-up paper.

Draco and the rest of Gryffindor table laughed when the boy had been hit in the face as Finn glared heated to them and Draco, even the Slytherin students, new and returning, were laughing at his humiliated.

Class had gone as usual the next day, unfortunately, when they had headed down towards Hagrid's, they seemed to find more and more issues as the days went on. Finn was constantly making remarks against Draco, Harry and Ron. What made it worse was when he began pulling mud-blood remarks to Hermione and talking about their Aunt Emma and Narcissa, "To bad I don't know much about the famous Evans sisters. I hear they had Potter and Black wrapped around their precious little fingers."

Draco glided up to Harry and gently shoved him forward the rest of the way to Hagrid's, "Ignore him, he isn't worth it. Not right now that is." Draco grumbled, fighting back the erg to slug the prat again. Class carried on, unfortunately their restraint wasn't meant to last. Just as Harry was taking off in flight on the back of Buck-Beak, the Hippogriff, Finn had snuck up close to Hermione and whispering into her hair and ear startling her.

Ron and Draco had had enough.

Ron shoved Finn away from Hermione, "Just stay away from her."

Finn and his little group laughed at him and Hermione, she was trying to hold the Weasley boy back. Ron was not much of a physical person, he hated confrontation, but Ron had in fact, as stated in previous times before, had enough of Finn and his crap.

Hermione had seen the grin, she knew Finn was going to try to enact a physical fight, she wanted to prevent Ron from getting hurt. But Finn’s constant nagging was egging the Weasley boy on to initiate the first wing. Another thing Hermione was hoping she could stop.

"Oh, so little _Weasel_ does have a spine, interesting, let's see how much spine you have then, **_Weasel_**." Finn growled with pure anticipation. He was going, his adrenaline and everything was at a high rise when he walked up into Ron's paling face, the fear the ginger gave off only seemed to feed Finn's ego and arrogance. He was taken by surprise immediately after a solid punch connected with his left cheek bone, sending Finn staggering five feet from where he had been.

He should have known Draco would have tossed a punch at him, especially when he was only standing three feet from his cousin and in one of his friends faces. But his arrogance had gotten the better of him and he had been sent flying into the ground, almost quite literally, eating the dirt. Finn could feel a bruise already forming, his eye hurt from the contact and his face burned like Hades had punched him, he had a feeling he was going to begin regretting the summer he had taken to beating the life half out of his cousin just to see if he could actually fight the kid, "That's enough, Malfoy or Lestrange, I can care less, but the moment you get into one of their faces and try laying a hand to them is the moment I take action! Leave Harry alone, lay off Ron, and stay the hell away from Hermione!"

Hermione and Ron had to give it to Draco, they knew 100% they could call him a friend; a good friend, a best friend. Because the moment Draco had taken up for both Ron and Hermione in such a way, all of their doubts and questions vanished regarding him, even if Ron trusted Draco even after the year before for saving him and Harry he still had some small doubts and had chosen to be careful regarding the boy. Now he was questioning himself on how dumb he'd probably been to not trust him fully, but even Harry was being careful, just in case, though Harry seemed to trust Draco much more than Ron and Hermione. They enjoyed their friendship with each other, and they were glad that they had found another to call friend, Gryffindor or not, why not? They had other friends in other houses, so why couldn't they have a friend in Slytherin? The answer was that they could, they just had to look past a lot of things not only regarding the house but how the person was, because deep down, maybe they were alone and in emotional pain, like Draco had been. They had been in time to help him, but maybe Finn was past saving. He had, after all, been raised by a crazy person for twelve years of his life then lost her so fast the kid probably hadn't had time to blink.

Draco huffed and puffed with irritation and anger as Hermione pulled him back away from the fallen boy and his group. Not long after Harry landed Finn found a way to get payback. He charged Draco's turned back, tackled the blond to the ground and the two started fighting. Finn, in retaliation of being humiliated by his cousin and Draco in self-defense as they rolled around on the ground.

Hagrid huffed with disappointment and separated the two, scolding them both, yet the moment Hagrid set them on their own feet Finn shoved Draco back, knocking him into Harry had caused a domino effect by Harry accidentally bumping into Buck-Beak and to the ground.

Draco found his feet before falling, only because he had grabbed a hold of Buck-Beak. This was soon to become one of his mistakes and panicked as Buck-Beak reared up. Draco lifted his arm in front of his face as the Hippogriff’s front claws came down, slashing him down his arm and knocking Draco back in sheer pain. At the sight of everyone, but Finn, gasped in shock and panic for him as he shouted and held his arm close to him. Finn was left staring in shock, punching Draco was one thing, the only thing he’d done previously that drew blood was a busted lip or a bloody nose. This could have actually killed his cousin. At the sight of Draco’s blood Finn felt his stomach tighten, but the years of pretending he was heartless and cold had been so deeply rooted he was able to pull his mask forward, shielding his bothersome emotions from others view.

Hagrid tossed a stuffed ferret off to the side of the outdoors classroom they were at and quickly walked over to check on Draco, "Draco, ca-calm down please, i-it's just a scratch," he stutter, he was in so much fear and panic he would get fired for this happening, his first day as a teacher and he had not only allowed a fight to happen but one of his students had been hurt by one of his own animals, an animal he wasn't supposed to have on school grounds, let alone own one in general.

Harry moved fast and was next to Draco in seconds, even though he wasn't that far from him he had still moved faster than he thought he could and looked at the cut on his arm, it looked worse than what it was but he had to say he'd be on the ground crying too, especially with how sudden it had happened Draco probably thought he was far enough away from Buck-Beak to not get hurt, "Draco! It's alright, you'll be alright jus-just try to calm down." Harry tried helping Hagrid in calming his panic filled friend while Hermione and Ron had rushed over to them. But it was useless, the poor kid was still reeling from his panic and the pain that it was making the pain hurt far more than what it was.

Hermione saw the panic on Hagrid's face, he didn't know what to do, "Hagrid, he has to be taken to the hospital!"

To this Hagrid nodded and picked Draco up into his arms and quickly walked away with a shouted, "Class dismissed!" disbanding everyone, Finn was off in the back with his little group laughing about Draco being hurt, thought his guts were still turning in disgust. But Finn’s laughter sent Harry into a bit of an overdrive and began walking up towards the laughing group. Three of the boys stopped their laughter at how cold and angry Harry was glaring at them all.

Harry’s strides were heavy and quickly paced.

"Ah, Pot-" Finn hadn't had the chance to finish anything. Harry swung, and he'd made perfect contact with Finn's bottom lip.

The sudden punch sent Finn backwards over the stone edge he was sitting on, busting his lip, but he apparently had tough skin. _‘That punch should have broken more skin than it had_.’

Everyone else around had clapped, cheered and began laughing at Finn, even Crabbe was laughing at him, but the boy had flinched in fright when Goyle glared and smacked the poor kid upside the head.

Finn stood on wobbly feet, finding it difficult to stay standing, he had ended up using the wall to help him as his eyes seemed to darken a bit in color, the bright stormy grey darkened to a shimmer and the action seemed to have sent chills through his group of followers, Harry and his friends, "I hope that Sirius Black gets here soon, he'll find you and he'll destroy you just like he did Peter Pettigrew!"

They had spent a few days after that making sure Draco didn’t strain the wound, "Really, I'm fine… It's just a scratch, though when I got it, I'll say it was more painful than a scratch, I can't believe he actually shoved me into Buck-Beak. Do you have any idea how badly I wanted to pee myself when that thing went up on his hind legs," Draco laughed at himself.

"Hey **_Dracie_** , you excited about the trial coming up, I know I am. Your father is furriers, he said he couldn't believe they let that oaf teach a class here." Finn laughed walking by, he was trying to taunt them again, he'd been going on about it for days, the trial wasn't happening until after Halloween's feats.

"He's really laying it on thick, isn't he?" Ron asked with a glare and a sigh, "Yeah, the git's going to be getting another bruise if he keeps it up, he's the reason I got this in the first place. I don't see why my father is doing any of this either. He doesn't even tolerate me, it's like I'm not even his son anymore, he treats Finn like a son more than me, and I'm his biological kid! My mum said she was able to change Mira's name on record without his approval. So, now Emma Evan's is officially my Godmother and has full legal rights to help remove me from the Malfoy manor, or if anything happens, she can legally take me in without issues. Mum said if she had too, she was going to have to use dramatic measures to get me out of there away from them. At least away from my father." He said informing the three friends, he knew they were in a state of shock, he didn't need to see their faces.

They had no idea what to say really, his mother, Narcissa Malfoy, had willingly listed their Aunt, a muggle-born, as his legal guardian. But something stuck Ron as he thought about what Draco had just said, she was trying to get Draco, not them both, away from Malfoy Manor. This, understandably, confused him, "Wait, what about your mum?"

They watched Draco’s face fall, his shoulders slumped, "She refuses to leave my dad. She won't give me a reason, but she won't leave him, she wants to stay. Probably in hopes of helping him wake up from his stupidity. I don't know what's going on, so I can't really say." Their gloomy mood changed when Athella and Horus ran into breakfast laughing with two Foxes chasing after them, yipping and playing along. One of the two foxes had surprisingly been Fox. Though the second fox was new to them, they’d never seen this one before. They all took notice of its Goldie blonde, tall ears, normal sized fox with black paws, almost like it had stepped into a three-inch-deep paint bucket, its’ eyes being bright blue, just like Athella’s.

The foxes were playing with the children, jumping around the hall making everyone smile, even Finn was grabbed by the two Foxes beauty.

"I didn't know kids under the age of eleven were allowed here, ah look, they have pets! How cute." The peace was ruined by Goyal’s comment one that Finn chose to feed.

"You're kidding. He isn't going to try messing with Ellie and Horus, is he?" Ron sighed.

"It's okay boys, why don't you let us deal with this one."

A chill ran through the four friends when Fred and George's voice had come out of nowhere, they sounded far too delighted for something. They watched the twins with a smirk when they pulled out their wands and sent a charm at the Slytherin bully, charming his legs together.

George sent one of their small fireworks after him and nailed him right on his butt, lighting up the area with a harmless little fire. This sent the third year in a panic screaming in the breakfast hall and trying to run and rolled out the fire, which was kind of failing.

Finn had realized that the fire was not causing any form of damage, instead felt warm not burning and melting your skin kind of heat, he stood, rather terribly and used the table and sent a nasty glare to the Weasley twins and around the room. Everyone was laughing at him, he had yet again been humiliated by a Weasley and in front of just about everyone in the school, student wise. He had turned a glare to the kids when they laughed, even the Foxes were cackling with laughter, "Teaches you huh? Our dad was in Slytherin too… In fact, he is one of the smartest Slytherin has had in years," Horus said with a grin, one that had a possibility of getting him into trouble in the future. His sister, however, had a graceful charm, even for her young age of not even being a Hogwarts student when she crossed her arms and grinned at Finn, something about her and the boy looked familiar to him, he just couldn't place where or why.

Athella continued on from her brother, "Our mum is talented all her own also, transfiguration is her skill with a nice background in defense, don't even get us started on our Aunts and the rest of our family. We're a league all in its own-" her eyes lit up with pure joy and she took off after the twins, her eyes were all on a laughing Fred, "Freddie!"

They had no idea how she did it, she always knew which twin was which, they could fool anyone and everyone, until Athella was born, they could never fool her out of George playing Fred and Fred playing George, they did one another perfectly, so how had she always known? Truth was, Athella herself never knew how she knew, she just did. It probably helped by the fact that Athella had a huge crush on Fred. The moment her eyes had seen the twins as a baby when he first held her, she had been stuck there, the twins were inseparable, Athella was inseparable from Fred. She loved George too, enjoyed being around him, but Fred was who she always ran too first, and he had never had any issues with it, it never bothered him, and it definitely did not bother George, he thought it was adorable. Athella had fussed and fussed all the time with anyone else holding her besides her father-Severus-, Grandfather-Dumbledore-, Ginny, who she and Horus always played with while growing up, and Fred.

"Why are kids even at this school that aren't even student's!" Finn shouted, pointing to the smiling and giggly Athella. She was in Fred's lap looking through his and George's small prank bag they carried around with them with wide eyed awe's, "Because their mother is one of the Professors here and she had no one else to watch them while away to teach." A cold and irritated growl flooded his ears.

_'Why does that voice sound familiar? And why in Merlin's name do I have a sick feeling that I won't like the outcome of this?'_ His mind rattled around the question, as he turned, Finn found McGonagall standing right there, arms crossed over her chest and a stern and very irritated look on her face, what he really didn't find appealing was a very pissed off looking Severus Snape looking at him, his arms crossed over his chest as well with a deep seated scowl on his face. 

_'What the in-hell fires did I do now! It's not like the Witch and twerp brother are his freaking kids!'_

Finn paled when Severus's left eyes twitched, and his already dark eyes darken, Finn could have sworn they were black holes in space with the way Snape was looking at him, "Detention, Mr. Malfoy… You'll be serving it with myself and Professor Fox. Due to the fact that Professor Blue, the children's mother, is on maternity leave." Snape growled lowly at his third year Slytherin, none of the others could help but cover their mouths in laughter, the ones who knew who Severus was to the twins were trying not to laugh even harder, which was only the staff and a few of the Weasley's kids, like the twins, Ron was so oblivious as a child. He knew Severus had always been around the family and Mellena and his Aunt Emma, but he'd just never put two and two together. No one outside of Slytherin had ever seen Severus Snape snap at one of his own Housed students, "Fifteen point are taken from Slytherin, bullies are very unwelcomed in any house, you disgrace the Slytherin name, Malfoy, maybe you should take example from your cousin." The Dining Hall went silent instantly, even Minerva had nearly gasped. The two Foxes had let their jaws loosen instantly and their mouths dropped and hung open in utter shock.

Emma looked at Mellena shocked and still half frozen, the only thing on her that could move was her neck, so she could look at her friend as she gently yipped to the Goldie fox, **_"Did he just-"_**

**_ "Yes, he did… I'M NOT EVEN PREGNANT!" _ **


	19. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 19**

* * *

_Snape had given Finn a detention, just one. But over that one detention Finn Malfoy had gotten three days' worth of detentions for not only giving mouth and snide with Snape and Emma, who really wanted to send the boy across the room, but for being inappropriate to a woman. Though, Snape had reminded Emma she was a teacher and that tossing the boy across the room was bad manners in the first place. That had ended with Emma's jaw hanging open with the thought running through her mind,_ **_'Bad manners? He just said I was hot and wanted to know what my body looked like under my gown! How could my desire to toss the perverted git across the room be bad manners!'_**

_That was until Snape had given the boy more detentions for being rude to a lady and in the process, he was to have the remainder of his detention with Snape alone. He was also required to do all the paperwork he was given. Snape had to grin to himself, by the time Finn’s detentions would be over he should be a week ahead in class work._

_This had caused Finn to groan and roll his eyes._

_"Mr. Malfoy! Would you desire more detentions, or shall I simply spare myself and the rest of the Professors your arrogance and escort you to Professor Dumbledore for expulsion!" Snape snapped in anger._

_His eyes may have been dark, nearly black voids in space, but at that moment Finn could have sworn Severus's eyes were in flames. With the desire to not be sent home by expulsion, Finn had stayed silent the remainder of his time in his first detention that night after classes had finished._

"He's been sighted, he's been sighted!" Lee shouted at the morning table for breakfast as he read the Daily Prophet, they were enjoying the quiet and relaxing morning they hadn't had the day before. Finn was currently in detention 

"Who?" Ron shouted in shock, "Sirius Black!" Lee quickly informed them. With the name spoken out loud many students had rushed to Lee to look over his shoulder at the Daily Prophet. The rest of the group had rushed over to Lee who had answered him just as he the rest moved over to him and others crowding around, even Hermione.

"Dufftown! But that's not far from here." Hermione exclaimed in shock, looking directly to Harry. She was fearful for him, for all of them. She knew Emma loved Sirius Black from the conversation they had all had before returning to school. Emma and Remus had their stone set ideas of what had happened, but there was a strong possibility they were both wrong about something involving that night, or Emma really was brainwashed into thinking he was in fact innocent where he possibly wasn't. Hermione saw the same worry and doubts in the other boys, she knew she wasn't alone in her concerns.

Ron shivered as he and Draco sat down, both still reading along with the paper describing everything with Sirius Black, much of which were lies. But who would know that besides Sirius Black himself and Emma? The answer was no one, the Prophet could write anything and anyone or everyone could or would believe it. Draco looked to Hermione and Harry, both of which he could tell were worried, "What are we going to do?"

Harry looked to the blond and shrugged, he was silent, he had no idea what to do, but Ron had answered for him saving Harry's breath, "What can we do? We can't do anything. Aunt Emma is being watched like a Hawk around here."

This had Harry adding his own two cents with a nod, "He's right, she can't even breathe without being given a kind of look from everyone, even Professor Snape is giving her a worried look."

Draco and Hermione shared a look of confusion, "Why?"

"Because they probably think she'd help him, Uncle Remus is even watching her closely." Ron answered simply. He and Harry must have been the only ones to notice, and that was a bit of a shock since Hermione hadn't noticed it at all, this too also shocked the Witch, because barely anything escaped her notice.

They sighed and headed off to classes for the days, all wondering what was going to happen next.

They had attended a class with Lupin, the first class they had was involving a shaking closet. Fox was sitting on the table pushed up against the wall, she was just there to observe, but the students were curious.

"Professor, why is Fox in almost every single one of our classes we happen to go too?" Draco asked, he was curious as ever. Ever since he and the others got to Hogwarts their first year, the white cinnamon colored Fox was always in the same class. Remus had only smiled at the boy and looked between Emma. She was just "Sitting pretty" and giving him a sideways look with a small shrug saying, _'What?'_

Remus gently laughed looking at the Fox, "They don't know I take it then.” At the shake of her head, Remus nodded with a grin, turning his attention back to his students. “Well then, I believe, Draco, that I am not able to say besides the fact that I knew Fox when we were here at Hogwarts together, you all know her too, you just have to piece the puzzle together. Now, class has begun. So, today we will be learning about Boggarts. Does anyone know what a Boggart _looks_ like?"

"Nobody knows, they are shapeless when alone and no one has been able to find much of anything out about them besides what their skills are." Lee said. He really didn't want to face a Boggart, he feared a lot of things, but so did many others, and he didn't want to be embarrassed with his fears. But he supposed he'd have to face his fear sooner rather than later in his life, maybe it was a good thing?

Hermione's voice had popped out of nowhere scaring the boys from their spot up front, "Boggarts are shape-shifters. They take any form of what their target is most fearful of."

"Yes, thank you Mr. Jorden, and Miss. Granger. You are both correct. Boggarts take the form of what their enemy fears the most, nobody has a clue as to what they look like when they are alone, and we have very little information about these creatures as it is. They use this talent, however, to protect themselves and to hunt. What they hunt and what they use as nourishment, again, nobody knows."

Ron looked between Draco and Harry who looked just as shocked as him, "When did she get here, did any of you see her come in?" They shook their heads to the frightened and bewildered redhead, they had definitely not seen her walk in, she hadn't even gone to class with them.

"Now, who would like to go first... Ah, Neville, come on, how about you give it a go first." Remus said, a happy and playful smile on his face. He had chosen Neville to go first mostly because he knew the poor boy needed to start finding his feet to stand his ground a bit. So, starting him off small should possibly help, he had only hoped. He had adored the Longbottom's, Alice had been such a sweet woman, kindhearted and very spirited, but she had a fierce side to her, she was strong, just like her husband. And Remus admired them both for their strength and courage, he would admit that the Longbottom's suffered the worst fate than anyone beside James and Lily. The Potter’s had only been killed and their suffering had been over in one night, whereas the Longbottom's were still suffering from having their minds damaged beyond any form of repair. This was the least he could do for them, to try to help their son find his courage, to help him take the first few steps forward to it.

Fox was trying not to laugh when Neville had admitted to being terrified of Snape, she would admit to herself though, that Severus could very well have a scary side to himself. It had all happened around the time he had left Hogwarts and began his time fully with the Death Eaters that he grew a heavy backbone and tried applying for the Defense against the Dark Arts that he had changed a lot. She had ended up cackling with laughter when the Boggart as Snape came out and Neville had sent him straight into his grandmothers' clothes, which she had to admit was a bit bothersome since Augusta had a few animals as accessories.

They had continued along with class, with the Boggart, Hermione had been most fearful of her failures, Ron was petrified of Spiders, Draco was a different story. He hadn't been able to think of anything to make something funny. He watched the Boggart of himself as a child, crying all alone into his knees as he held his legs up closely, an attempt to comfort himself. He had no idea what to do to make this funny. Loneliness was something he feared the most. Draco had felt alone for much of his childhood, it wasn't until he was actually trying to be friends with Harry and the others that he felt whole.

"Come on Draco, you can do…" 

"Yeah, come Draco, just one simple word," he heard Ron and Hermione call out to him from behind, they were giving him courage. Then it hit him, he had friends now, friends that would never abandon him, " _Riddikulus_ " It was a soft-spoken command to his wand, three kids jumped out of nowhere laughing as they all three tickled the crying imitation of himself. It made him smile and everyone else, but what made him laugh was the real Ron, Hermione and Harry walking up to him. Both boys draped an arm around each of his shoulders and Hermione stood close to Ron's side, all laughing and smiling. Topping it off, they all three made funny faces, making them all laugh.

Remus smiled with pride. His student was strong. "Nicely done Draco, I'm impressed. Very well done." Remus complimented him, he'd smiled back to the blond when he laughed and smiled. Remus wouldn't lie if he was asked if he saw Sirius in the eyes of Draco, because he did. Every time he looked at Draco, he thought of the young, hyperactive, fun loving and prank master, Sirius Black, when Sirius was good and untainted. He'd admit that Narcissa had done wonderful with her son, especially with the environment the poor boy had been subjected too. Clearing his mind Remus brought himself back to class, Remus nodded to Harry. He had to be ready for this one, Harry was not only a difficult case, but he couldn't risk it with him.

They all watched the boy stand his ground and the Boggart took shape.

Remus and Fox both waited and watched, both at the ready. Fox was in a near panic, she had a feeling she knew what it would be, because the smile he had from all the fun was fading from him quickly as the Boggart froze in a cloaked figure for a few moment nearly sending Remus and Emma into action, but they had waited, and where glad they had. It changed forms and split into bodies that fell to the floor with a heavy thud, two bodies that Remus and Emma recognized all too well. Lily's fallen body and Emma’s own, a blood pooling out around her and covering her abdomen in the location where Voldemort had shoved his wand through her.

Remus felt his heart drop as he looked at the sight before him and his class, it was pure horror, _'So this is what Sirius walked into when he found them. How does Harry remember this?'_ they hadn't had enough time to question it as the bodies morphed back into one and continued spinning and swirling together. Finally, a Dementor unfolded, moving after Harry. Remus had, had enough, the boy was in a state of shock, he was frozen in his steps he could barely lift his wand to say the words, he just stared at it. Remus moved quickly in front of Harry, arms outstretched guarding him from the Boggart and watched it morph into a moon.

Emma’s heart leaped into her throat as she watched and waited, Remus was frozen. Hoping her action would help she yipped and brought Remus back to reality as he quickly spoke the counter curse, the moon morphed into a yellow balloon and began flying off around the room deflating itself as Remus grabbed the prank with a spell and guided it back into the closet and locked it, "Uh-th-that's all for today, sorry."

Everyone had gone out to Hogsmeade and had a blast. Looking through the candy shops and other places, the group had stumbled upon the three broomsticks and found their Aunt walking through with Remus. This caught their curiosity, they were both smiling for once, they were happy. The four followed behind the two adults wanting to see what they were talking about and what was going on. "I know we haven't been as close as we used to, I suppose that's my fault." Remus sighed out.

"It's both of our faults Remus, we just… We argue about him, and Peter," Emma suddenly felt sick, she always did when she said his name, she never understood why, she couldn't remember, but she wanted to try to have a good day out with her friend that she hadn't had for years due to their constant arguing about Sirius. Pushing the sick feeling of bile back down and took a breath to calm herself, "I know you think Sirius was the one that caused it, that he was the one that sent us to him, but he didn't, he really is innocent. I just don't know how to convince you-"

Remus sighed, he had always seen her reaction to Peter Pettigrew's name, even to ‘Wormtail’ she'd get green and pale and look as though she would vomit and pass out, but he had to ask, he'd spent years trying to figure out what Peter had done to Emma for her to react to his name in such a way. "Every time we bring up Peter you get this I’ll look, like you're scared and lost and have no idea what to do. But you also always look as if you're going to vomit or faint. I wish I knew why, to help you. Albus said something must have happened to have caused this, like a very deep traumatic event, but I can't think of anything he had done that would make you react that way to him. Did he do something to you that you never told us?" and Remus simply watched her think about it for a bit, it had finally bothered Remus to a breaking point. He had asked, now it was up to her to answer him, if she wanted to. He had a deep hope that she'd say nothing happened and she had no idea why. He didn't want to have two friends to think badly of, in life nor death.

"Not that I can remember, but I think remembering seeing Peter at the safe house before Sirius locked us down, before he left. Every time I think of him or hear his name, anything about him, my mind goes right to that moment then it all goes blurry and blank. I never let him stay entirely in my memory I gave Albus because I thought it was irrelevant or just trying to make an excuse for why my mind had him there. I was afraid I’d tarnish his name too, but I made my own copy of my memory. Albus has both memories of course, just in case.

I have the one with Peter in it. It just feels right-" 

“I know. I’ve seen them… So, the fact that your mind believes Wormtail was likely there that night means that he knew where the safe house was, he was there when Sirius left to trade out the secret keepers, he knew the replacement then and then that happened? You think it’s possible that Peter was the one who framed Sirius then? Emma, look, I adored Peter just like you and James, but he wasn't that bright. At least not all the time, he had his moments where he had a brilliant idea, but they barely ever worked, he always had Sirius and James to help him fix it or myself to help him through class work, you really think Peter Pettigrew pulled that frame job off on Sirius?"

"I could be asking if you did simply because you have the knowledge and skills to pull it off. You'd have been a great Auror Remus. Never think little of someone, that was Sirius’s first lesson to me when he did his training. If it was Pettigrew, then he not only paid for it with his life, but he also had help in finishing the job. But yes, my mind keeps placing Peter there that night, I just don't know who." She was getting flustered just thinking about it.

Remus sighed, grabbing her hand, he pulled them to a stop and looked into her eyes and saw her loss and pain, he saw the disappointment in her ability to remember that night fully and it ate at him.

She remembered the event but not the person that had abandoned and betrayed them, and Remus had a sinking feeling she thought it was indeed Peter Pettigrew, why wouldn't she? He was the last person she remembers seeing there.

"I'm so sorry, Emma. I just don't know what to believe, I wasn't there and I'm sorry Sirius is suffering for crimes you believe he didn't commit. But Pettigrew was never smart enough to pull something like that off, and please don't yell and tell me it's because I'm defending a dead man's honor, because I just truly don't believe he had the capability to do so. But I will stand by you no matter our different beliefs."

Emma smile, he may not believe her fully, but she had a feeling he was beginning to question things a lot more than he had before. Her eyes flickered gently off in the distance almost behind Remus and smiled. She caught sight of her nephews and Hermione, "I know, but Remus, I think we have some visitors,"

Smiling, Remus kissed her brow. "I know, but let them watch, I just want my best friend back, even if it's just for a day."

Days turned to weeks, weeks turned into a month and Remus had begun to feel the end of the month taking its toll on him, there was too much pain going on that he’d been reduced to sending word to Emma and Severus. Emma had agreed to teach Severus's Potions and he teach Remus's students, to give him a chance to take up the class for a few days, and Severus had taken the offer gladly, he had helped Emma and Mellena with their Potions and they had excelled in it, he knew he could trust her. Everyone had been curious as to why Emma was teaching Potions, they knew all too well how Severus was about his class. He didn't like anyone but himself teaching his students, Potions was meant to be his domain, but as he had walked into Remus's class and began his lessons everyone was even more confused and curious, "Uh, excuse me Professor, but where's professor Lupin?" Harry asked, his curiosity was really going to be his ending one of these days.

"Quiet… Turn to Page 394." The class continued, Snape was being a bit arrogant, that day, he felt empowered for finally being able to teach this class and he had the perfect lesson, he only wished a few certain students paid attention besides Hermione. Though, he couldn't help but continue to feel annoyed with the girl. She continued to shout out the answers, then again if he would simply acknowledge her, he wouldn't have that kind of a problem. Now would he?

"Two scrolls of parchment on the differences and recognizing it-" 

"But sir it's Quidditch tomorrow!" Harry pointed out, there was no way he'd get that homework done by Monday Morning.

"Then I'd suggest you be careful then, Mr. Potter. Loss of limb will not excuse you." Severus said with a stern look to Harry, Severus sighed a calming breath to keep calm as he continued on with the class. It took Severus a lot of self-control not to Jinx's the boy because all he saw when he looked at Harry was James Potter when he’d gone to school with the boy’s father. He still thought James and the others were arrogant gits as they grew up, but the thought of James as an adult, he felt no contempt, no anger or judgment. It was just the thought of a younger James that angered him. But it wasn't Harry's fault, he just didn't know Severus was trying to help keep him safe. And he wanted to keep it that way.

Quidditch had started that next afternoon, Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff. The weather was terrible, the rain and a heavy storm had set in making it more difficult for any of the players to see, barely anyone in the stands could see the players as they flew around and played the game. The teams had all agreed to play in the weather after given the choice to call the game postponed or to play on in the weather, they choose to play.

Harry had flown up into the storm after the Hufflepuff Seeker, both chasing the Snitch, Harry nearly came close to swallowing his tongue when he watched the other team's Seeker reach for the Snitch, he almost had it and Harry was seconds behind him, but he felt terrible when the Seeker had been struck by lighting and sent flying backwards back towards the ground and Harry felt a glimmer of ease wash over him when he was thankful the other Seeker hadn't gotten a hold of the Snitch and flew off after it, but something had taken his attention from the Snitch, a cloud in the shape of a dog and Professor Trelawney's Divination class came to his mind when they had discussed _"The Grim"_.

He hadn't told anyone that he had seen this kind of sign before the year started, he could have sworn he saw a black dog hanging around The Potter's Estate over Summer break. But his distraction was about to cost him his broom and almost his life when the air suddenly grew cold as he took off after the Snitch once again, he soon enough began to notice his broom had begun to freeze, snow flying around him, he had no idea what was going on until it was too late.

Cloaked figures flying around, and it had hit him then that they were Dementor's. 

_'Great! Time to fly away now,'_

It was too late, they had spotted him and took to the chase when Harry took off back towards the Quidditch field, in the hope they'd back off when they realized he was a student, but they hadn't. The Dementor's surrounded Harry, one cut him off guard when it came up out of nowhere in front of him and began draining him. The sudden attack had made him lightheaded and that had caused him to faint, sliding right off his broom into a free fall.

Harry woke up a few hours later with a headache and figures around him and a warm hand holding one of his chilled hands. He had smiled when he heard the twins telling Ron they should take him up to the Astronomy tower and toss him off of it and see how he felt after something like that happened, "He'd probably look worse than me," Harry grumbled out in a joke and everyone breathed a sigh of pure relief, "How are you doing mate?" George asked him with a sympathetic smile, but all he cared about was who won the game.

"Who won?" The group around him looked between one another confused, they had actually been taken by surprise by his question, and all had asked in sync with each other, "What?"

"The match, who won?"

"Uh…"

Hermione sighed, knowing no one was going to tell him, they had no idea how to tell him, so it may as well be her at this turn, "No one blames you Harry, the Dementor's were far from where they were supposed to be too close to the school than they should have been. Dumbledore was furious when he sent them off after saving you." She said, slightly shrinking away, gently nudging Ron, it was his turn now.

Ron took in a deep breath of courage, he really didn't want to tell Harry about his broom, but he was the one that was holding it, and the confused look Harry was giving him kind of told him he was the one that was going to have to tell him, "Right, uh, about your broom, um.. It sort of… your broom kind of flew into the Willow and um, well." Ron said, sinking a bit behind Hermione and his brothers when he showed Harry the destruction the tree had given his broom.

Harry sighed in defeat, it had been a gift from Minerva McGonagall his first year, he had adored that broom it, it never failed him.

They had spent the next few weeks going to Hogsmeade every time they had the chance too, Draco was having fun and enjoy their time, ever since Finn had served his detention with Snape he hadn't exactly bothered ‘the golden four’, four friends who had been once announced as ‘the golden trio’.

They had just returned from Hogsmeade, with everyone laughing and talking about all the fun they had and glad the school had the village just down wind of them, it had a history and an amazing culture to its grounds, just like Hogwarts. It felt right, and it felt like home. Though, the fun hadn't lasted long when everyone was waiting at the Portal of the Tower, waiting to get into Gryffindor Common room, "What's going on?"

"Neville probably forgot the password again," Ron grumbled, but that had been killed the second Neville piped up, obviously offended, "Hey,"

Stunned and confused, Ron felt instantly sorry he’d even made the accusation, "Oh, you're right there, sorry mate."

"It's alright. I lost my slip of paper anyways with the Password on it. I'd have been sleeping in the corridor again tonight if I wasn't with everyone else, that's why I try to stay with someone going back to the Common room because I can never remember the password." Neville explained.

Harry simply nodded, "I know, I almost had to do the same thing the first year a few times, honestly I don't think I would have gotten in if Hermione hadn't been behind me." Harry spoke up, he grinned and playfully nudge her when she giggled for the praise.

Ginny had rushed back towards them, panic clear on her face, "The Fat Lady, she's gone!” they could clearly see her fear in her watering eyes, and her panting breaths.

"Everyone, out of the way, please move out of the way," Dumbledore said trying to gently push through the students, Percy had walked up in front of him and help separate the students from crowding him with questions he knew the Headmaster couldn't answer.

Emma followed closely behind them in worry, "The Headmaster's coming through come on clear out of the way please… Move! He can't do his job as Headmaster with all of us crowding him! Go on, back up, thank you." Percy shouted, he’d been nice the first time he said it, as had Albus. So, he took a harsher tone and had been relieved when everyone cleared the way for the Headmaster and the others who followed behind him.

Emma had panicked when she saw the claw marks running across the painting, "Sirius couldn't have caused this Albus, the claw marks are too far apart."

"No matter, we have a dangerous creature either running around the Castle or he had someone's wand to do this. I'm sorry Emma, but I have to report this. Mr. Filch, round up all the Ghosts and have them search the castle for the Fat Lady. Look through the paintings-"

"No need for Ghosts Professor, the Fat Lady's there." Mr. Filch said, pointing to the Amazon painting, a woman in a white toga and headpiece made of dried vines and grapes hiding behind a Rhinoceros crying and in full panic.

Albus took off after her just as everyone else did and he had been forced to push through the students, just to speak to her, "Dear Lady, what happened?" he asked calmly to her, as long as he remained calm it should help keep everyone else for going into sheer panic. He hoped.

"It was him Headmaster… T-the one they all talk about, he's here… In the Castle…. Sirius Black!" she screamed and went back to hiding. Her words and fear had obviously created an uproar of panic from the students, "Everyone! To the great Hall, NOW!"


	20. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

**Chapter 20**

* * *

They slept in the Great hall that night. But as the nights went on fall turned to winter and everyone was slowly, but not fully, forgetting about Sirius Black being loose.

Eventually, Emma had taken it into her own hands to track down Sirius, it was getting too cold out there for him, even his Animagus form could only last him so long in the freezing weather. She needed to find him and get him somewhere safe and warm. To top it off even more, Emma was getting irritated because he still hadn't gone to the cabin at all. Emma was overjoyed when she found him in the Shrieking Shack, but her joy faltered upon seeing Sirius in a quivering mess leaning against the hard wood beam of the breaking bed frame. He looked terrible, worse than she had previously seen him. Emma had no words for it and she felt horrible for not looking for him sooner when he failed to show at the cabin.

Rushing around the room in search of any blankets she smiled gladly, finally finding what she was searching for. But the blanket had become so mated over the years it was falling apart, "Sirius, I told you to go to the cabin, what are you still doing here?" She froze in her search at hearing his weak voice, shaking through his trembling teeth.

"I had to stay near you and Harry… Peter… He's here, he's here, he's dangerous. I couldn't leave you both again, not like last time, it's all my fault… Fox, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault." He cried. He was dilutional from the cold, his dirty face was smeared with tears and cried over the weeks of being alone in this chilling weather.

Emma instantly moved to his side, wrapping her own cloak around him to add extra warmth the blanket was likely failing to give as she rubbed her hands over his arms, an attempt to warm him. Her long-sleeved winter dress was enough to help keep her warm for the moment, her focus was entirely on Sirius. "No, Sirius. It was not your fault. Now, come with me, I need to get you somewhere safe, please… Sirius please?" she begged him. His hands shaking as he pulled his hands continuously from her grasp. Sirius was fighting her, refusing to move, and even in his weakened state he was still stronger than her. Though, Emma found the most difficulty with him was mentally and emotionally. He was a wreck. Hid reactions to her was causing her already alert concerns to soar even higher on what had happened while he was alone in the Shrieking Shack and during his time in Azkaban.

_'I should have come looking for you sooner. This is my fault Sirius.'_ Emma couldn't fight her tears any longer. She had to get him to look at her for her to see what was wrong and if she could help him. "Sirius… Sirius looked at me, please?" Emma felt a glimmer of hope When Sirius finally stopped pulling his arms from her hands, their eyes locked on one another.

For just a few moments Sirius felt peace. She wasn't a hallucination, he honestly had no idea being this cold could make you hallucinate, he thought only heat would do that. Unless someone had placed some kind of spell on him to make him hallucinate the past few days, "Wil-Emma?"

Filled with hope, Emma smiled at him upon him realizing reality, "Yes, yes it's me… I'm here, I'm real… It's okay… Come on, let's get you somewhere warm and safe. You need food Sirius." At his nod Emma felt a thrill of triumph in her then quickly Disapparated to the Cabin.

Upon their arrival, Emma eased him towards the fireplace, and wrapped him in a warm blanket around him, waved a hand at the fireplace and smiled as a roaring fire started, "I'll get a warm shower ready for you. While you clean up, I'll fix some food, how does that sound?"

Sirius smiled, staring into the fireplace taking in the warmth it gave off gladly, "It all sounds wonderful. Home, family… I just can't keep my mind wrapped around it… I'm home, but I'm not free yet, it's like a part of me is still in that prison… Emma, we have to find Peter. We find him and kill him."

Emma's eyes widened at him in shock, she couldn't believe what she was hearing him say, "Or we turn him over and force Veritaserum down his throat and make him talk to the Ministry." Emma offered a counter measure. She was curious as to why he was looking for Pettigrew, he was supposed to be dead, but she couldn't be sure really. The last they had spoken, she let slip her memory had been tampered with. If Peter was alive, then someone was helping him hide. For twelve years Peter would have been in hiding. Question was, who was he hiding from and who was he with?

Emma’s mind was brought back to reality as Sirius' voice spoke through, still the gentle whisper it always was, only it now held long lost times, sorrow, regret and hardship. "I want my family back Fox. You, Harry, Remus… All of you. But I can't have peace, we can't have peace, until Wormtail has taken responsibility for what he's done, but we'll discuss this in a bit. For now, a shower and food sounds too good to let wait any longer."

"Of course, come one. Let's get you to the bathroom for that shower."

Once she had him in the bathroom and the shower ready, Emma gave him his privacy and went about cooking a late dinner. Minerva and Dumbledore knew she 'd be away for a while and she had asked them, and Remus, to keep close eyes on the kids for her.

Sirius had finished the shower, feeling fresh and relief from the stench that had clung to his skin for ages. He’d turned the water freezing cold for being in the warmth for so long, but he knew Emma would never mind. She was cooking food after all, and she tended to take her time with cooking some things, at least she had before from what he could remember the last time they had ate a home cooked meal together. Walking into the kitchen his ears caught the sound of Emma humming a song that he was very unfamiliar with. Again, it was another thing he could add to the list of things that was now unfamiliar to him regarding his dear Fox. The unfamiliar things between them as the years went on had his heart nearly shattering as it hit him that they had changed a lot over the years. At least he had, and he wasn't sure how to take that realization. But he knew that no matter what, he’d always love her; One thing he knew that would never change, and he hoped she still loved him, but he'd rather try instead of leaving her and regretting it later. He listened to Emma's voice as she hummed and cooked, it was soft and sweet, like milk and honey to his ears, soothing his fears of this moment being a trick, "What song are you humming?" He asked. His sudden question startled Emma half out of her skin, he hadn't mean to frighten her at all, and he felt bad when he had nearly made her jump out of her skin from being startled, though he couldn't help but laugh a little. It helped him relax that she smiled in return. He had to give it to her, she had guessed correctly about his clothes size. The pants and shirt fit him perfectly and a casual long-sleeved, cream knitted sweater for winter holidays, sad to say because he had lost a lot of his weight and muscle while away.

Sirius was under the impression it was a name brand of the small steel plate sown in at the right sleeve, engraved with what he thought looked like a Rose and Lily. _'Must be a personal signature to the clothesline.'_ He wondered how she could afford it, the clothes looked expensive, but he would later find that the clothes were sold at a price to try to accommodate as many people as they could, sold in cheap places all the way up to high end clothes lines. He had noticed Emma herself and changed while he was in the shower in the form of black leggings and a red knitted sweater shirt. She still had the charmed necklace, he still wondered who sent it to her for her thirteenth birthday, and since he was currently out of prison via escape, he may just find out now, surely she must have figured it out over the years.

Emma took a calming breath and smiled at him, a little embarrassed she had been caught humming a particular personal Lullaby, but she wasn't going to lie to him either, there was no point. "Just a song I made up when I sang Draco to sleep. He used to have nightmares as a child so when it was just him and myself in the home that Sissy and I had built I'd sing him to sleep at night and the song surprisingly worked." She saw the shock on his face, and she had a feeling he knew who Draco was, "Malfoy? Lucius Malfoy's son? The blond kid that was inside the Potter Estate when I came to you?"

"Yes, he is my Godson, legally… By Narcissa's request… Why?" They both knew how Lucius had been when they went to school together, but he hadn't really bothered her afterwards while they were at school, after all he was a part of the group Avery had been involved in, but Lucius hadn’t caused the scar to hip lip, Avery had been the one who busting her lip her first year, even though Lucius had held her off her feet by her hair. But Sirius was not going to blame Draco for being his father's son and sharing a name.

"That's a bit of a shock honestly. Narcissa asked you to be the Godmother for her son? I'm actually curious to know how Lucius reacted to this. Or does he adore you too now, after all these years?" Sirius was joking of course, and he knew she saw it when she giggled and tried tickling him as he trapped her between him and the stove with a playful grin on his face, "Sing it for me? Just so I can continue to hear your voice…" He whispered softly against her lips, his voice was always close to a gentle whisper, something she always loved about it. Her own emerald eyes sparkling in the dim light of the kitchen as she looked at him with daydreams and longing of her own and himself doing the same to her.

Sirius ran a shaking hand through her long, soft, waving hair. He was looking at her in a closer proximity, no stress, no rush to leave, no one to run from… Just the two of them, safe in a cabin far from trouble. He noticed her hair was still deep red, her eyes hadn't lightened at all as she grew over the past twelve to thirteen years, to him, she barely looked like she had aged over twenty-four and he knew he looked a sight. Azkaban had truly taken a lot out of him. But Sirius had caught her humming a lullaby he had never heard before, it was understandable why he was so curious to hear it, even after finding out she had made it up for Draco. It made him to want to listen to the words even more. He knew he was going to love it any way the words went, simply because she had made it up for a child in her care and one that she held close to her heart, almost as close a she held Harry to her heart. That made it all the sweeter when she began to gently sing it to him.

**_"With bright blue eyes and emerald skies,_ **

**_Listen as the Phoenix cries;_ **

**_'Come along thy blue-eyed child, thy blue-eyed child,_ **

**_Upon thy wings of Silver and Gold, Silver and Gold,_ **

**_In search of the Silver furred Fox's long lost Padfoot, her long lost Padfoot,_ **

**_Find him you shall in a cage of iron, surrounded by seas of sorrows,_ **

**_For his Silver furred Fox awaits with families embrace,_ **

**_With songs of longing, songs of longing,_ **

**_To see his Silvered furred Fox, and families embrace,_ **

**_For freedom he shall be granted, shall be granted,_ **

**_When his Silver furred Fox sings to her emerald skies and bright blue eyes,_ **

**_And sing her songs as thy fly with thy blue-eyed child, up through the emerald skies,"_ **

As she sang the Lullaby both couldn't help but smile, "You put me in it?"

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Emma played with the curling strands of his hair with delight. "Of course, it's something only he and I know, now you. It's a part of myself and him, it means something to both of us. It started out as just a random made up thing I ended up singing and made up as I went. Then he'd started to sing along once he remembered the words… I ended up having small music box made for him with the lullaby tune and the figures crafted inside a last year.” At a sudden thought of the things that had progressed on both positive and negative, Emma’s smile began to slightly falter when a second thought hit her that as of lately it seemed things were gaining on the negative side. “Draco is going to be around a lot of the time, maybe for a long while if Narcissa does do what I think she's doing, and I hope she doesn't, for Draco’s sake. I don't want her to do it. But she is his mother, she needs that boy as safe as he could possibly be." Emma whispered between them, her eyes scanning his own grey eyes. Eyes she had missed looking into.

"And there's no safer place than with you. She's a smart woman. If she knows she can’t keep him safe, even with her body, she’ll send her son somewhere she knows he will be safe. You are the only outside option she has… The Lullaby is wonderful, beautiful even, just like you… However, I smell some amazing cooking, how about we finish this conversation over dinner, Love?" He adored the way it sounded, _'Love_ ,' it was like nothing had changed. But they had changed, they were older, wiser and he hoped that they were still very much in love, he knew he'd never love someone as much as he did Emma, it would never change for him.

Emma wanted to argue that she really wasn't, simply because the safest person to be with was Dumbledore, for her the safest place to be was in Sirius's arms.

They had meant to finish their conversation, but they had decided to talk about other things, like the happiness they had before everything had fallen off the cliff-side. They’d both laughed for what felt like hours, but they knew there were many other things they needed to discuss.

He hated breaking their enjoyment, but they needed to talk about a lot of things, and he wasn't sure how long he'd have, "Emma, what do you remember?"

"My memories were messed with, Sirius. I don't know what was erased and what wasn't or if anything was changed… But I can show you what was left after it happened, follow me." She said softly.

Emma walked him into an office/library room and led him over to a floating, slightly flat looking, bowl with a small dip sinking inward towards its' center.

Sirius was confused what it was. _'It has water in it?'_ He honestly thought it was going to overflow, it had looked as if it didn't have a bottom once he looked into it. Sirius looked at Emma in pure confusion as he watched her walk over to a cupboard and pulled out a vile, pouring in the contents. "Go on, the Pensieve won't hurt you. Just dip your face inside a bit and you'll see everything."

Doing as he was told, Sirius found himself being pulled into the void of water, seconds later Sirius found himself standing in the safe house and watching the days go by, each time he looked and saw a cloudy figure standing in the distance. He was witnessing what Emma had witnessed when he left them at the safe house with Wormtail. As other memories smashed in along with it, it seemed this memory was withdrawn a few years ago. And as the event went on, he found himself watching in horror, Sirius was unable to do anything, it was tearing him apart. Anytime he had tried touching the person or object, it would turn into smoke and vanish away into the next event, then the next. He witnessed her waking up, being refused custody, being attacked by Quirrell and finding Voldemort had been behind everything. Sirius watched helplessly as Emma scream out for him when she had tried escaping from the underground dungeon and cry herself horse and nearly dead. He watched Remus and Narcissa rescue her then everything went dark.

When everything was over it was like he’d been sucked out and slammed back, almost onto his butt. The effects of said feeling sent him staggering, he was glad Emma had stood next to him and helped him steady his footing, "Wormtail… Emma, I switched with Wormtail that night, that's why you remember him coming to the safe house. I handed you all over into his care. The figure you can't give a shape or voice too, is Wormtail... He is still alive. He is at Hogwarts with Harry and the others. He snuck into your room after you came out of surgery and tried erasing your memories…" Sirius’s eyes trailed with a few tears, but his sadness soon melted away creating a wide smile, he had no idea why he was happy, Pettigrew was still alive like he had said and most likely with the kids, but he was and as he sailed through his joy and excitement Sirius grabbed Emma's face and pulled her into a deep and passionate kiss. He had forgotten how much they affected one another. They never could keep their hands to themselves. He had forgotten the feel of her lips, her hair, her in general and now all he wanted to do was reacquaint them both to one another.

Sirius held a hand to her neck, even at how weak he had been due to Azkaban, he still had a gentle yet firm grip on her, keeping her in the kiss, he wasn't going to let it end anytime soon, and from her reaction, he had a feeling neither did she. Backing Emma into the door frame Sirius gently putting her back against the sturdy frame. They had both tried to find their way out of the office room. Laughing at their clumsiness when they had fallen over the fur rug in the living room landing on the soft fur in front of the fireplace. The fire burning with as much heat as they kissed one another with hunger. Slipping a hand under her knitted shirt, he lifted the material up and over, tossing the shirt off to the side somewhere as she did the same to his.

Fire rushed through them both, like fire and brimstone mixing. Sirius laid Emma back into the fur rug, their bodies molding to one another as their kiss intensified in passion, heat, and loving contact long over do. A hand tangled itself into her wavy mess of hair and wrapped the other under and around her waist, pulling her closer, if air wanted to pass between them, it would find it a bit difficult.

Emma's veins rushed with heat like steam was rolling off her body as she ran a hand through his dark curling hair, resting her other hand against his chest. She felt his heartbeat, the warmth and the goosebumps rising on his skin. They had been separated for twelve long and painful years, and to finally be within reaching distance and not kiss one another they both felt it was almost a crime not to act on their emotions and desires.

Sirius pulled from their kiss, gently glided his lips over her neck, nipping playfully at her soft skin, leaving Emma in an almost giggling mess at being ticklish and the thrill of knowing he was finally back in her arms.

Her giggles had made Sirius laugh in return as he left butterfly kisses down her chest and abdomen, paying special attention to the scar at her sternum that both Avery and Voldemort had so cruelly given her. The entrance of the wound had healed to a pale, rather slim, short and slightly puckered from scar-tissue from the dagger Avery had shoved through her. However, the center of the wound was rounded with a slight hook off the side from the wand which had been shoved through her almost four years later. Bur in their moment of passion and heat Sirius hadn’t noticed the still reddish pink burn on her back of the exit wound.

The two spent their night wrapped up in one another's embrace, taking their time in remembering each other as the night carried on, the world spun on and time continued just fine without them present.

** Hogsmeade **

Harry and Draco were heading out to meet Ron and Hermione in Hogsmeade when they were suddenly stopped by Fred and George linking their arms through Harry's as the two brothers passed by one another and dragged him off back inside and off to a corner stairway with Draco laughing at Harry as he pathetically struggled against the twins, "Easy there Harry,"

"Guys, we're trying to get to Hogsmeade,"

"We know, now hush up, we have something for you,"

"Yes, we've decided that your need for this is greater than ours," as they explained everything the twins watched Harry and Draco both grin wide, this made them grin as they walked away, "Enjoy the Mischief. Be seeing you around Harry, Draco, enjoy Hogsmeade!" and with that they were gone.

"Come on, let's try this out then. We should probably go up to Gryffindor tower and get something really quick though, it'll help us not get caught or expelled."

"Sounds like a plan, let's go," and they were off to retrieve Harry's invisible cloak and headed off through the passageways into Hogsmeade and to the candy shop's cellar. "This is wicked Harry,"

"Yeah," The two of them had found Hermione and Ron near the Shrieking Shack, but it was the extra company their two friends had currently with them. Draco growled in the back of his throat when he heard the last person he wanted to deal with, "Finn, I swear I'm going to knock his lights out one of these days."

Harry laughed at the idea, "You already have, Draco. Come on, let's mess with them." Harry laughed with mischief. He’d been wanting to do this for some time really, this was just a bonus that they got to mess with Finn and the others.

Draco's irritation instantly melted away and grew with total mischief, if he got to torment Finn, he was all in, "What's the idea?"

With that they hid over the hill side, rounded up snowballs and began the snowball assault, "Watch this," Harry snickered. Slipping the cloak over him and Draco nearly peed himself as he watched Finn screaming like a little girl and the other two having one of their pants pulled down then shoved head first into the snow when he'd tried to pull his pants up and the other tripping and slipping over the snow as he ran.

Finn screamed, trying to get away from Harry's invisible self when he was knocked over, picked up by his ankles and pulled past the wired fence and towards the Shrieking Shack screaming frightfully then took off running and knocking the other two down and out of the way as he took off, the others calling after him in panic trying to keep up with the retreating boy, "Malfoy! Wait!" This had everyone laughing, Draco even more when Harry moved to Ron and Hermione and began messing with them.

Draco had rolled down the snow-covered hill laughing when Ron paled a shade of green when his hat began to move, but Hermione laughed harder "Harry," and it continued on from there, they had a snowball fight, chased one another around and tackling one another and had pinned Draco then eventually Ron and had tickled them to a crying mess. They were having fun and the day was amazing.

"Those weasels! They've never told me about the Marauder's Map, hang on, wait a minute… Harry, what did the front of the Map say again?"

With a laughing sigh Harry recited the front entree of it, **_"Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief- Makers are proud to present the Marauders Map_** and there are paw prints around it, under the words, like a deer's hoof, a rat's paw, a dog's paw and a strange hand like claw. There's also a little fox at the top right-hand corner before you open it. I'll show you all tonight. It's awesome, Draco and I already tried out one the secret passageways- hey isn't that Fudge and Professor McGonagall with Hagrid? ** _"_**

They smiled and giggled at Rosmerta backing Fudge up, hammer in hand, as they spoke "Sirius Black in Hogsmeade, now what would bring him here?" she asked. The kids hadn't heard what Fudge had whispered to her, but they knew seconds later when her face squinted in confusion and exclaimed, "Harry Potter?"

"Shush! Inside, come on." Minerva ushered them in and up to Rosemertas’ personal office, but Harry had quickly followed behind, leaving three confused and very concerned friends who had attempted to follow him in, but were all called out and told to get out due to no underage wizards allowed inside on that day and to "Shut the damned door!"

Hermione huffed and moved to close the door, "So rude,"

But it was Ron and Draco's synced comment had the three friends laughing, "Thick heads," they all continued to laugh for a while, even when they were left in the cold snow while Harry ventured indoors to overhear what the heck was going on.

"The girl is in love with that beast of a man! He has Emma wrapped around his fingers. She's loved him from day one and he will use that! With her memory nearly in ruins they had no case to help him, and the Magical community was better off without him if you ask me. Sirius was the **_last_** person to see the Potters alive. That man may not have put a hand to the Potters, but he is the reason they are dead! He even sent he own wife to be into face Death himself that fateful night. Emma Evans and Harry Potter are both very lucky to have survived that encounter." Fudge shouted, "If he's escaped, Emma is the **only** one that he would trust to aid him. Worst of all, she believes he's innocent! And why wouldn't the poor child? He messed with her memories, brain washed her over the years he knew her, this is precisely why I tried to keep that boy from her custody! Because she'd be handing him over for Sirius to finish what he and the Dark Lord started years ago… The death of Harry James Potter. And he'd likely kill her too no doubt, that man never cared for her, never! He likely only ever used the poor girl!"

Harry's anger was boiling, the Minister of Magic was having a discussion about his family, his Aunt in particular, and he wasn't the only one getting upset, he could see the steam rolling off McGonagall, Harry had to wander, why she was there in the first place?

"Cornelius! I may agree about Sirius Black being involved in some things because of his strange behavior. However! I will say this now and make this very clear, Emma would die before she allowed that boy to be harmed in any way! Besides Albus, Emma Evans is the only one I know who could keep Potter safe and alive. Even at the cost of her own life if necessary! That woman has endured enough over the years, suffered the most dare I say, at the hands of that evil Wizard, besides the dear Longbottom's of course. But for three years, three long and painful years that she laid in that bed comatose, the only thing that girl thought of or dreamed of, was that frightful night! Of course, that was only thirteen months afterwards because her mind was healing. Yes! Healing, her own mentality was mending itself, and it took thirteen months for her to accomplish! Her body gave out nearly seven times over the three years, and every time she came back! Harry Potter is the only thing keeping her going in this life!" McGonagall was furious, she had shouted, not screamed, but shouted at Fudge. Poor Rosmerta was nearly hiding herself in the corner of the fireplace to keep a distance from the Professor, "Pardon me dear Rosemerta, however, I believe I should be going. Good day." Minerva huffed a bit as she stood for the sofa and moved for the door,

Cornelius sighed as he took a sip of the Brandy from his cup and moved a few steps, in hopes of trying to change her mind from leaving so soon "Now, Minerva-" he was silenced when he caught the glare in her eyes, one he really hated being on the receiving end of, he was about to realize how much of a mistake he was making by trying to convince her to stay.

"Cornelius Fudge, as I have said already. I agree Sirius Black was involved with something before he was arrested. However, I will **never** admit nor agree, or disagree, in believing that he would ever harm Miss Evans intentionally, nor his Godson! I know very well how he reacted when he and Hagrid found Mr. Potter and Miss Evans in that Nursery. And that, **_Minister_** , was no act he put on." With Minerva's thoughts said, she walked out with an upsetting huff. Her anger was perfectly clear to Harry, even to Fudge. But Harry still wanted to hear what more was going to be said, so of course he stayed. 

_'Uncle Remus always did say my curiosity came from my Aunt.'_ He thought with a happy grin at the memory.

"Forgive us, Rosmerta. Minerva is simply protective of Miss Evans and young Mr. Potter, with good reason, as she is with Mr. Longbottom as well. I take full responsibility for my dear friend."

"And as you should, Cornelius, Minerva is a very protective woman by nature, she never looked at the Evans as simple students, none of her students are simply just her students, many of them she tends to sometimes look at as her own children or grandchildren, and the Evans' girls were almost as close to her as Grandchildren. I heard a rumor about poor Horus Slughorn nearly having a heart attack with grief when he found out about Lily and James." Rosemerta said with a sorrowful sigh, sitting next to Cornelius on the sofa and sunk in to relax, they had much to talk about she supposed.

"No dear lady, he did suffer a heart-attack, the rumor was true," he informed her, he didn't have to look at her to know she was in shock herself, and he continued with the horrifying news very few people knew about, "Lily Potter was two, almost three, months along in her second pregnancy when that evil wizard attacked them. That is why I say Harry is lucky he made it out alive. Emma was even more so. Unfortunately, she too lost her unborn, barely a month really. The poor thing never had a chance, not after Emma's heart stopped the first two times in surgery, or so I was told. Really, the attack alone she suffered was truly enough to cause the dear thing to have a miscarriage. Poor girl doesn't even know, if she remembers that is, that she was pregnant herself. I try to keep silent about that as much as I can, because truly I never looked at her file, it's simply what I had heard in rumors. Though, I have to say, she still would have made a very nice mother, even at her age then. Honestly if she had known for herself, she was pregnant maybe she would have woken up sooner? We can only wish things from the past and for the future though."

Rosemerta gazed into the roaring fire, unshed tears for the expecting couple and the possible loss of Emma's own, even if it could very well be just a rumor the idea was still heartbreaking to hear such things. Even to a woman who could never conceive one of her own, "Emma never said a thing about Lily or herself expecting?"

Cornicle's attention was pulled from his memories of when he had been informed of the attack on the Potter's safe house that he hadn't quite heard what she had asked, but the longing look on her face told him what her questions had been, "No, never once mentioned it, and no one ever asked her. Poor child was suffering enough as it was, I dare say I may have come across someone myself for bringing up such a thing to the girl after that traumatizing event. Though I did not help either in the near future after that. However, I must say that I do very much believe Sirius Black was the culprit that sent those innocent people to their doom. A child lost his parents, two children, in fact, and two possible children were lost in the process because of it. I suppose we'll never truly know."

"I'm sorry to say, Cornelius, but I don't believe trying to keep Harry from his Aunt was a smart idea on your part, she's a strong, stubborn girl. I personally believe it aided the enemy in his harm than anything. And I say this only because he came to our world with no knowledge of anything, had he been raised by Emma when she woke from a coma he would have been understanding of things, how things run and work, but you cannot change the past, only help try to change the future. More Brandy?"

"Huh- oh yes, thank you,"

Harry had heard enough. Silently leaving the room, he closed it as quietly as he possibly could and ran for the forest, the snow gently falling around him as the words continued ringing in his ears, **_"Lily Potter was two, maybe three, months along with a child"_** , **_"Emma was even more so. Unfortunately, she too, lost her unborn, barely a month really. The poor thing never had a chance,"_** , **_"Really the attack alone she suffered was truly enough to cause the dear thing to have a miscarriage,"_** and finally, **_"Poor girl doesn't even know, if she remembers that is,"_** He had sat atop the rock crying, his fathers' cloak draped over him still. He'd have been a big brother to a little brother or sister, running around and laughing, someone to enjoy his life with and a big cousin to Emma's little one running around doing the very same as his younger sibling would have been doing. He knew then that his family had been very much cheated of a life they should have had. He wished he knew what had happened to Neville's family, he'd heard McGonagall mention them and he'd wondered if his parents were killed also, if so, they have something in common, besides their birthdays being a single day apart from each other.

That night Harry was still clearly upset over what he had found out that day, he couldn't seem to fall asleep and made the decision to sit in bed, wand alight with ' _Lumos'_ as he looked through the Marauder's Map. He was frozen in shock at what he was seeing. The name moving, and very real, was Peter Pettigrew. 

_'That's not possible, he's supposed to be dead… Right? This thing must be malfunctioning or something. I still need to check this out. If he really is alive, I want answers.'_

Slipping on his house shoes and his sweater, Harry headed out, map in hand and began his search.

Unfortunately, he was finding nothing. He had scared himself as he watched the name script move around him. He heard nothing and had found nothing but a mirror with his own reflection that nearly made him jump out of his skin. Harry sighed with disappointment.

_'Yeah, the map is malfunctioned,'_

But his luck had just ran out as Snape's name and body rounding the corner, Harry panicked. Clearing the map and killing his _Lumos_ charm only to have a light shined in his face. He was glad he had the time to put the map into his sweater pocket, but again his luck had run out, Snape had notice something in his pocket and had him empty his pockets.

"Reveal your secrets,"

But instead of opening the map to Snape's eyes, an insult appeared. Snape had forced Harry read it aloud, "Why you insolent little-"

"Professor, please, calm yourself. Now, may I ask what is going on here, ah, Harry."

"Well, well, well, Lupin… Out for a walk in the moonlight?... Your appearance is most appropriate at this time. I have just confiscated a something from Mr. Potter, looks to be something of your professional expertise, it's full of dark magic-"

Lupin couldn't help as he looked at the Marauder's Map, memories coming back in sudden flashes making him smile. Snape, however, was under the impression Lupin was laughing at him, "On the contrary, Professor, this parchment seems to insult anyone who attempt to open it. I suspect it's a Zonko, but as you say, it is my area of expertise. I shall hold onto this- Harry would you come with me, please. Good night, Professor." The three left it there, for the time being. Snape was not yet through with this. He didn’t, wouldn’t, trust Remus Lupin.

Lupin had walked Harry back to his office with a disappointed huff, "I know your father never much abide by the rules, Harry. But your mother and father gave their lives to save yours. By being out after hours unprotected with a killer on the loos seems to be a pretty poor way repay them! Now, I will not cover for you again, Harry. You will return to your dormitory and if you take any detours, I shall know. Good night."

Harry sighed in defeat, his uncle had just scolded him a good one and he had no idea what to do, he still serious believed Sirius was dangerous, Harry was skeptical, but as he made it to the door he remembered why he was out like he was, "Um, Uncle Remus, I don't think that map always works,"

Remus sighed but choose to entertain his nephew, "Oh really? Why's that?"

"Because I saw a name on the map, someone I was under the impression was dead."

"Oh really, and who was that?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

Lupin looked up from the desk, trying to put the map into a drawer. Unfortunately, what he was hearing had him instead of holding the map closer to him, like it was a safety net while he stared in shock at Harry, "That's not possible."

Remus stared after the retreating Harry, and quickly opened the map to look for the name. His heart stopped when he too found Peter Pettigrew running about the castle, his heart dropped to his stomach with painful breaths as his eyes filled with tears as Remus sank into his chair, running his hands through his hair.

Memories flooding his mind and ears. He’d left Sirius abandoned to Azkaban and damned him before they even had real evidence against him or for his innocents. He hadn't believed Emma at all over the twelve years, and by allowing this, Sirius's life had been utterly ruined and Emma had lost the chance for twelve years to have her family she had deserved, they lost twelve years of their lives, Remus had lost James and Peter, and then his best friend had been convicted of the murders he’d helped a possible suspect that had likely been the real culprit hid for years as an innocent man suffered for twelve years. "What have I done…"


	21. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 21 **

* * *

The three teenagers had rushed down to Hagrid's after hearing he and Draco had just returned from the trial and they were concerned.

Draco had asked Hagrid, with pleading eyes, if he could return to Hogwarts with him, Hagrid had not objected whatsoever. He had witnessed the poor boy trying to defend Buck-Beak at the trial, and he was entirely grateful. Unfortunately, Buck-Beak had lost and was to be damned for something he had not done intentionally, but he was happy in the smallest amount that Draco had tried to fight for the Hippogriff.

"How did it go Hagrid?" Hermione asked with concern.

"Well, the Minis’ry members firs’ said why we were there," He stated with dry sarcasm, he was obviously upset, and he had every right to be, "Then I got up, said how Buck-Beak was a good Hippogriff, cleans his own feathers an’ everythin’," The more he tried telling them what happened, Hagrid found it more difficult to say the words.

They watched Hagrid sigh with sadness, he was thankful when Draco piped up to continue for him, he couldn't say it without his heart breaking into pieces all over again.

"My father got up and he pretty much did exactly what we thought he'd do. He continued to claim Buck-Beak was a vicious and violent creature that would kill you just as soon as you looked at him then demanded that he be put down, and to make it worse for Buck-Beak, he said in doing so, the students of Hogwarts would be safe from being attacked again. No one even listened when I tried explaining that the only reason he ended up hurting me was because Finn shoved me into him which startled Buck-Beak in the first place." Draco sighed at the memory, he’d stayed with Hagrid after the trail and comforted him telling Hagrid he was ever so sorry, and he'd wished they'd listened to him to spare Buck-Beak from something they all knew was not his fault, nor intention to harm anyone when it had happened.

The three friends looked to the down faces of Draco and Hagrid as he continued skipping stones, an attempt to distract himself from the dreadful sentence Buck-Beak was soon to be facing, "So, what was the verdict then? Do you have to send him away?" Harry asked exactly what they were all thinking, he was honestly confused on the sentence the Hippogriff was given, because no one seemed to want to say what had been the verdict.

Hagrid would have preferred that kind of ending instead of the one they had been given, "Buck-Beak's been sentenced to Death," the words left him with full sadness as he tossed the stone straight into the water and let his sorrows flow with uncontrollable tears. The teens just sat and watched their dear friend cry.

"This is so unfair," Hermione whispered to only them, she didn't want Hagrid to hear her, he had endured enough that day, and the boys understood why she had kept her voice so low and simply nodded in full agreement.

* * *

**The Evan's Cabin**

Emma smiled with a waking sigh, she had spent a few days with Sirius and they had barely left the Cabin, she was more so happy since no one had sent word to her by her personal owl she had left at Hogwarts with Mellena and Minerva, who had both gladly agreed to look after the precious full black and spotted feathered creature. 

_'I wonder if Doli is doing okay. I've been gone a few days, and no one has sent anything, which probably means everything is alright. At least I hope so.'_

Emma had chosen him because of his strange feathers, she had never truly seen a black owl with white spots and a light brown spot around his right eye, with one bright green eye and one bright blue. He was rare in her opinion and she picked him up the second she had seen him. Though as she walked down the few happy memories, she had no idea that Sirius had left earlier that morning as she slept. Emma stretched and slipped into one of her robes, tying it tightly around her waist and walked around inside and out of the cabin looking for Sirius, she was utterly confused when she didn't find him, but the unexpected arrival of Remus in her kitchen looking as if he had just woken up confused her more, "Remus?"

"Sirius is gone, left early this morning," At her confusion and sudden shock of panic at Sirius running into Remus then leaving. Remus had spoken up and stood from his seat at the table, coffee in hand and spoke calmly to her, hoping she wouldn't think he had come and accused then threatened him. "Harry had the Marauders' map, he then confided in me that he saw Wormtail's name piece. I suspect that was why he was out of bed at nearly two in the morning. But I came looking for you as soon as I could and found Sirius in the kitchen early this morning making coffee… Uh, it seemed as if he had just um, forgive me, but it looked as if he had just been taken for an adventure, if I may say without being slapped, again." He joked lightly, but she was still in a bit of a panic. Remus held back as much of a shiver as he could when her voice came at him in a scary whisper, "Where is Sirius, Remus."

"Hogwarts… Looking for Wormtail… He asked me to stay with you until you woke up. Emma, I am so sorry I didn't believe you until it was too late, I am such a fool."

"Yeah… Yeah, you kind of are… Remus, you let him go alone! Now Harry and the others are at the school very much unprotected! And Sirius has everyone looking for him! Come on, we have to go, now."

Remus was taken aback, shocked she had even agreed but had gone into a small rant about the boys and the others being unprotected without him there, "Wi-Emma, you're in a robe, don't you think you need to change first."

"I'll be fine, if I have to turn into my Fox, I already know my clothes will likely be saying goodbye, there is no point, now come on!"

**Hogwarts**

The four friends were heading down to Hagrid's, they knew he would be in an emotional disarray before, during and after, they wanted to be there for him, to distract his mind, but they two had a few problems of their own going on.

Ron was accusing Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, for eating Scabbers, saying that was why his dear rat had been missing for the past few weeks. The two had argued the entire way towards Hagrid's. Unfortunately, it only got worse when they’d spotted Finn, Crabbe, Goyle and another Slytherin boy they never seemed to figure out the name of. They were all around the stone pillars heading out of the bridge.

Draco and the other two boys just groaned in annoyance and sighed in irritation, but Hermione was seething with anger and sped her way over to them.

_‘May as well take my rage out on someone whose had it coming far longer than Ron at the moment.’_

Finn had turned and seeing them, his eyes glittering with excitement when he spotted Hermione. Though, the anger that was on her face did somewhat confuse him. He’d gone back to his arrogance and grinned with a sadistic smile and laughed, "Ah! Come to see the show?!" He was definitely not expecting Hermione's next reaction.

"You! VILE AND EVIL LITTLE COCKROACH!" Her rage had actually scared him and the speed she had as she advanced on him had made him unintentionally back up into a stone pillar behind him.

Harry and Ron were confused as to what the girl was thinking, but Finn had nearly peed himself when she aimed her wand straight at his throat, she had every intention of Hexing the git.

"Hermione no! He's not worth it."

Draco had laughed as he ran up in front of her, putting himself between Finn and herself, picking the girl up with ease, walked a few steps away from the Slytherin morons he had to call housemates, "Easy there, little sister, calm yourself," He waited a few seconds after she had taken a few deep breaths to calm herself down then set her down calmly, "Ron's right, he is not worth it, Kitty-cat-"

But she had taken them all by surprise when she bolted around Draco with far more ease than they thought she had after Finn and the others began laughing and punched him square in the mouth knocking his head back violently against the stone pillar.

Draco snickered at them "Never mind." The four Slytherin's had ran off, Finn holding his mouth, "You'll pay for that _Kitty_ , I swear I'll get you four for this!"

"Malfoy! Wait!"

"Why is it always the mouth. AH- I'm bleeding! She drew blood!" Finn screamed. Out of all of them, Finn never thought Hermione would have had the strength to not only punch him but hit him hard enough to draw blood.

The four friends began laughing, Hermione blushing from her violent behavior, "That felt good,"

"Good? Bloody brilliant that was!" Ron praised, a wide grin on his face, "Yeah, but we're late getting to Hagrid's come on." Draco pointed out, but it didn't stop him from ruffling Hermione's hair but to also make the joking comment of "Now all we have to wait for it for Ron to hit him. Then he'll have the full set." That made them all burst with laughter.

They had made it to Hagrid's shortly after and sat with him while he waited for Dumbledore, the executioner and Fudge. They hadn't realized they were already on their way down. The students were currently distracted by Hagrid handing Scabbers over to Ron and gave a small scolding for not taking better care of his pet when Hermione jumped up instantly wanting an apology, but that argument had been ended the second a small rock flew through the window, shattering a jar full of sand and dirt. This had made them look through the window nearly panicking as their eyes watched the three arrivals walking up to his door and knocking, "Ya four need to leave, quick, ou' the back door, hurry and don't get caught," the door had been knocked then bagged on, demanding entrance, "Be with ya in a moment!"

Ron had a hold of Hermione's hand as they rushed up the steps and back towards the school, they had stopped just at the top and stood between two of the stone pillars to watch as the executioner raised his large axe and watched it fall, slicing through whatever it had been aimed at. The action scared the crows away from their comfortable stations causing them to fly off into the air and scatter.

They had no idea that their night was about to get worse. And it all started when Scabbers bit into Ron's figure causing the poor boy to drop the rat from his hold giving the Rat the chance to scurry off, squeaking in fright.

Ron's shock drew everyone’s attention and worry when their eyes found their friends bleeding figure, their look became shocked with wide eyes as they glanced at him. Their eyes asking him what happened, "He bit me!" Ron said in shock, "He's never bitten us before, that's the first time he's ever bit anyone- SCABBERS! Come back!" he screamed rushing after the retreating rat, he had finally caught him, but he had to dive for Scabbers, and smoothed over the ruffled fur of his pet, "What's the matter with you!"

Draco and Hermione looked at one another when they realized what tree they were at, "Harry, we have a problem."

Harry looked at the two completely confused, he wasn't really paying much attention simply because his attention was purely on Ron sitting himself up from the lying position he had landed in from diving after his rat, "What, why?"

Hermione’s jaw dropped with disbelief, "Do you not see what tree this is?"

"What?" The answer was no, he didn't notice. Turning, he finally took the time to look and his stomach turned, he and Ron previously had a horrible encounter with that specific tree their second year, and Ron was far too close to it for any means of safe distance, "uh-oh- Ron! Run!"

Their confusion was rattled when Ron's face paled and look, what they thought was at them, yet pointed in shaking fear, "Look out! Behind you, it's the Grim!"

The second they turned their eyes spotted a large black dog as it barked, growled and charged them and shoved between the three teens and headed straight for Ron, who screamed and turned in an attempt to run for his life, only to have the beast try attacking Scabbers.

Ron, not wanting anything to happen to his pet that he had just been reunited with, smacked the dogs nose hoping to daze it at least a little, but he'd been knocked over and its' jaws latched onto Ron’s leg and began pulling Ron into the Whomping Willow’s opening and into the darkness as the frightened redhead screamed.

All three teenagers gasped with fright and rushed after him and shouted for him, Draco continued chanting to himself in his mind that as long as Ron continued to scream that meant he was alive, in pain, but alive. "RON!"

The Willow swung its branches. Hermione’s sudden glance at it from the corner of her eyes had her gasping with fright, “Duck!” she shouted, but Draco had been suddenly blind-sided by the branch, smacking Draco in the side of his arm sending him flying, his grunted pain had honestly sounded as if he’d replied to Hermione by saying ‘Goose’ though he’d only painfully grunted from the impact. Harry would have laughed had he not been hit in the gut himself, also sending him flying while Hermione jumped over the branches flying at her feet, trying to leg sweep her.

Hermione looked off at Draco and Harry when they had been hit and knocked off into the distance for a third time, it had been enough of a delayed reaction on her part ending in her being picked up and in the sudden panic and fear from being lifted into the air with no safety net, she wrapped her legs around the branch and held on for dear life and screamed. From her height Hermione was able to see a way into the tree to go after Ron without them getting constantly knocked back and ending up with their butts bruised. She grabbed a hold of Draco's shirt and tossed him into the entrance, then did the same to Harry. Now all she had to do was aim herself into the entrance or she'd have broken legs and a very damaged body but thankfully she had aimed herself perfectly, besides landing into Harry's back, knocking them both back into the ground, "Sorry."

Draco could only laugh as he helped the two up from their fallen states.

"It's alright, thanks Draco." Harry replied, a nod to the blond.

"Any idea where this tunnel leads too?" Draco asked curiously. He'd thought Hermione would have an idea, but it was Harry that gave them an answer.

"I have a hunch. I just hope I'm wrong."

Draco and Hermione just looked at one another as Harry walked on, they had no idea what kind of hunch he had, and they wished he'd share it. But they soon figured it out once they came to a door to a house.

"The Shrieking Shack? You're kidding right? I mean this place is supposed to be more haunted than the school." Draco wouldn’t lie, he was shaking in his shoes. He knew he'd never admit that this place did in fact give him the freaks enough to want to run out the front door and scream back to the school, but he would be damned if he left his three friends on their own, because the last time he let Harry and Ron go without him they had nearly became spider food!

_'Yeah, no thanks, I'd never hear the end of it from Emma and I like the friends I have now. So, no thanks and no running… Merlin, I hate trying to pretend I have guts when I'm really a wuss.'_ Draco thought to himself, forcing his body to stop shivering. Draco couldn’t seem to nudge away the bad feeling about this. And he was sadly right.

As soon as they walked into the first bedroom they found Ron, with a hurt leg and a frantic Scabbers fighting in his hold "NO, IT'S A TRAP, HARRY RUN, IT'S HIM, HE'S AN ANIMAGUS!" Ron cried.

The three turned just as one of the two doors closed with an old squeak of the rusting bolts. They were shocked to find the form of Sirius Black, "I'm not here to hurt any of you… Well, not intentionally of course, please just hear me out-" 

"No way, Black! You attacked Ron, why the bloody hell should we believe you!" Draco growled, pushing Harry and Hermione behind him and towards Ron, who grabbed a hold of Hermione as she checked him over frantically.

Sirius gently laughed to the blond, Draco was nothing like Lucius, that was for sure, but he also didn't really see much of his mother, unless she had changed. Though, he was never close to Narcissa, "Believe me, if anyone is dying tonight it'll only be one."

Harry, however, had caught everyone off guard when he pulled his wand from his pocket and pointed it at Sirius, even Sirius was left a little shocked, but mostly by his words, "Did you love her?"

They were stunned when Remus charged in, disarming Harry.

"Uncle Remus?" Ron and Harry asked in unison. They were confused as to why they Remus was there, they knew he wanted nothing to do with Sirius Black, he wanted him back in prison, thought they were now thinking that maybe Remus wanted Sirius dead more than anything. This was cause for worry to the teens, "Harry get back over there."

He wasn’t moving, Draco saw Remus's look of _"Do as your told"_. Knowing his friend wouldn’t move on his own accord, Draco moved towards Harry, gently pulling him back by his jacket, "Easy there, come on."

"No, no, I want to know… Sirius, did you love her?" The question was still a little confusing to Sirius, even more so to Remus because he had no idea who Harry was talking about. It had hit them both as to who it was at the same time, "Your Aunt Emma? You're actually asking me if I ever loved your Aunt?" Sirius asked his Godson. In truth, Sirius was hurt Harry was asking him that.

"Answer my question. Did you ever love her?" Harry had to know, if he admitted he never loved Emma, Harry would never forgive him, even if Sirius wasn't involved in his parent's deaths, he'd never forgive the man for hurting his aunt. Harry waited as patiently as he could for Sirius to answer him. He saw the shock, the hurt and the disbelief.

"Of course, I love her Harry. I-I've loved Emma since the moment I met her on the train. Bleeding lip and all." They watched his reaction, a happy smile, a dream in his eyes of long-lost times.

They all heard it, the love, the sorrow of missing so many years with her, missing the years with Harry, missing out of having a family, and the loss of Harry’s parents.

"How can I believe you?" Harry choked. No matter how badly he wanted to believe this he wasn’t sure if he could yet.

Shocking them all, Remus spoke up, lowering his wand as he moved between Harry and Sirius, in deep hopes to guard his friend for the first time in years, even against Harry and the other three. "You can believe me, Harry. Sirius Black has loved Emma even through his torture in Azkaban… He is innocent."

They were stunned by the sudden number of people who seemed to be joining this ‘reunion’ party. But Snape’s sudden appearance did startle the four teenagers as their Positions Master rushed in, wand aimed for Sirius, an angry look of desired revenge in his dark eyes, "Well, well, well. Look what I've found, I told Dumbledore you were helped by an old friend. Now, here's my proof. However, I must say, Lupin, I am equally disappointed in you, I'd have thought of all the people to have helped him I thought it would have been Emma. How ridiculous could you possibly be-" The sudden flash of bright blue slamming into Snape was what utterly shocked them when he went flying back into the old bedposts and rendered the Potions Professor unconscious.

Emma had rushed in only moments after Snape was been hit with the attack and stopped in her strides as she came through the door looking for who did the attacking, only to nearly lose her jaw when she found Harry brandishing, not his own wand, but Hermione's. She wasn't the only one in shock, so was everyone else.

Draco stood with his mouth gaping open as he watched the scene, Snape had been hit by a powerful curse to send him flying with that much push, he was knocked out. Draco had barely found his voice to even question his friend.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped with shock and fright.

Draco was glad he wasn't the only one in shock at Harry's attack against Snape.

"What did you do!" Ron had shouted out right after him in equal shock and wide eyes. _'We're likely to be expelled this time for sure! Mum's going to kill us!'_

"You just attacked a teacher, Harry!" Hermione shouted at him, they all had absolutely no idea why he'd even attacked Snape. The teacher had likely thought the students were in danger of the escapee and had acted purely on protective teachers' instincts to protect his students! 

_'What is he thinking! We can get expelled for this!'_

"Tell me about Peter Pettigrew." This wasn't a question. It was a demand as Harry stared at the two in wonder, but they willingly answered him, "He went to school with us, we thought he was our friend." Remus started with a sigh.

"Pettigrew is dead, he killed him." Harry accused. Draco shoved at Harry's arm a bit with his elbow and a stern look, "Really Jamie."

"No, he didn't, I thought so too until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the Map!" Remus pointed out, stepping in full front of Sirius, afraid Harry may accidently hurt his Godfather.

"The Map was lying then!" Harry argued, he was pointing out facts and evidence, the map likely wasn't perfect, maybe it was possibly glitching. So of course, he was going to question these things.

"The Map never lies Harry!" Emma’s stern voice, suddenly came to the adult’s defense, she was clad in a red, tightly button-down, robe. Her dark red hair waving around her shoulders and down her back, though it was her look of a very unhappy expression directed at Remus and Sirius, even Harry for cursing Snape into an unconscious state.

Sirius’s jaw dropped. Now they needed to worry, "Remus? I thought you said you were going to stun her, so she didn't have to face him!" Sirius scolded.

"Oh, he stunned me alright, Sirius Orion Black. However, it wasn't good enough. I woke up in the Hospital wing. I went to Dumbledore while I was at it, explained to him that Peter was very much alive and well and running about causing chaos on School grounds. I also told him that my stunning was done by Peter. Saving Remus from a vicious scolding from Mellena." Emma clarified, glaring between an ashamed looking Remus Lupin and a paling Harry as he faced down Emma’s glare, "You're very welcome by the way… Now, where is that traitor, I want answers."

Sirius pointed towards Ron and Scabbers with an obvious shrug and honestly, he really didn't want to endure Emma's wrath right now, "Right there,"

"Me! He's mental!" Ron shouted.

"Yeah, Ron isn't a Shapeshifter, and not to mention no one can pull off trying to be Ron, that takes too much talent to try. That and I can’t even fake him." Draco said jokingly with a laugh as Ron gave a bit of a sarcastic hurt look and shouted at him, "Hey!"

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Draco continued laughing but was quickly silenced by Emma's stern look making the blond clear his throat, "Sorry Aunt Emma."

Emma gave Sirius a look of slight disbelief.

Sirius huffed with irritation.

_'I don't believe this!'_

"Not Molly's kid! The bloody Rat!" Sirius yelled, Pettigrew was right there, and Emma didn't see it! Even Remus was blind to it!

"Scabber!? Bu-but Scabbers has been in the family for-" Sirius took a few steps towards the frightened young Weasley, silencing the redhead, "Twelve years, yes? Surely that's an uncommonly long life for a common or Garden Rat! He's missing a toe isn't he!" Sirius pointed out.

Ron was in utter shock.

_'How the bloody Hell does he know that!'_

Hermione watched as Ron shivered, Draco and Harry moved almost in front of the red head to either side of him while Hermione held a comforting hand on Ron's shoulder.

"That’s close enough, Black." Draco warned, holding a hand up between Ron and Sirius, yes, he was scared Sirius Black was the killer he was said to be, but Draco wasn't going to let him get any closer to Ron. The poor kid was shaking in his clothes.

Everyone seeming to catch on, especially Harry, his face falling as he spoke up, saying exactly what the rest were thinking, "The only thing left of Pettigrew was his-" 

"Figure! The bloody coward cut it off, so everyone would think he was dead! Then he transformed into a Rat, slipped into Emma's Hospital room and attempted to erase her memories. And I for one, would like to know why he didn't just kill her if he wanted to keep his treacherous secret. Though, I have some very unsavory ideas! Granted I will forever be grateful to Molly for interrupting the bloody coward from causing more damage than he already did!" Sirius ranted, huffing and puffing with seething rage.

Emma took a breath, her head was beginning to pound with a heavy heartbeat, one of her migraine was beginning to settle in, she felt sick to her stomach as Harry looked at the escapee and he took a breath of courage. Harry beat her to it, and she was thankful, she didn't like the idea of questioning Sirius he'd likely see it as a sudden and very painful betrayal, so would she if she was in his place.

"Prove it, show us." Harry demanded, again, he was leaving no room for arguments nor more talking, he wanted to see the true traitor for who he really was.

Sighing from slight exhaustion, he rushed Ron. Their curiosity and suspicion now spiking as they watched Scabbers thrashing about and squealing as Sirius removed the rat from its owners’ hands.

Ron screamed, fighting him back to keep the frightened rat in his hold, but it was useless, Hermione and Draco had held Ron back aiding Sirius in removing his pet from his grasp as he continued to scream for someone, anyone to help, to help his rat, to get Scabbers from the mental escapee. But no one gave him aid. For this, Ron felt betrayed.

Draco and Hermione held Ron back, keeping him on the cushions he was rested on. Ron was hurting himself more than he was trying to help is rat, "Ron… It'll be alright. If Scabbers is not Pettigrew, then we're back at square one." Draco said, in an attempt to calm the frantic redhead as he cried.

In truth, Sirius knew it was Pettigrew, but now his mind was swimming with doubt, if it did turn out this wasn’t Pettigrew he'd not only be sentenced to Death, but he'd be looked at as a liar by everyone, even Emma, and that frightened him more than anything.

Sirius tossed the rat onto the Piano top, then he, Remus and Emma began aiming charms at him to bring out his human self. They had almost lost him when he jumped through a large hole in the side of the wall next to the door. Relief filled them all when their charms hit him, the Rat was re-transfigured into an older, rugged, dirty, Peter Pettigrew.

Emma watched in horror and shock, her Migraine enhancing ten-fold as the others watched Sirius and Remus pulling Pettigrew from the gaping hole as he growled and snarled in fear. He must have spent all his twelve years as a rat since he had developed the same characteristics to his human nature, keeping his arms close to him, body tucked in bodily protections and kept his head slightly down, refusing to look at anyone, even Emma who was using part of the Piano to keep herself standing, holding her head with a hand. She had no idea why her head was pounding with pain, but it was causing her eyes to water, her skin felt like it was on fire and her breathing becoming difficult. Yet no one noticed, something she was half thankful for, and half hoping someone, anyone, would take notice.

"Remus? Sirius? My old friends." Peter said in hope, thinking he was still a small animal that could slip between them with easy, he tried to move his larger body between the two, they had easily grabbed a hold of him to his dismay and threw him back onto the Piano causing him to shrink back in fear. His eyes landed on a young Harry Potter and his unshed tears came forth. 

_'He looks just like James,'_

He took advantage of that, "H-Harry, so good to see you… You look so much like him, your dad, James, we were the best of friends-" Wormtail stuttered, he was trying to save his own skin as he held onto Harry with as much grip as he could, which wasn't really a lot of strength. But he was once again grabbed by Sirius and Remus. As they tossed him back away from Harry.

Sirius turned from exhausted turmoil and sheer adrenaline to seething with rage. One of his own friends he had adored over the year of growing up had betrayed them all and not only sent James and Lily to their deaths. His betrayal had caused the deaths of many and the life of a child that never had the chance to be born, the only problem to that was Sirius had no idea that Emma had also been pregnant, "How dare you! How dare you speak to him! How dare you speak of James in front of us! What did you do Pettigrew? Turn them over for your own life! What about Lily and Harry! Emma and her memories! The unborn children! What were you thinking!" He shouted, wand at the ready. He was going to kill him. As Sirius opened his mouth, Snape had woken up with a groan, yet when he regained his composer his eyes widened, and breath caught in his throat as he looked at Pettigrew in utter shock, "You? You-your-"

"Yes, Peter Pettigrew is alive, now if you don't mind Severus, Remus and I have some unfinished business to attend too." Sirius growled, the wand in his hand still directed at Wormtail as the traitor shivered with terror.

Snape's eyes turned from the shivering Wormtail to Emma's staggering form, he nearly vomited as he watched her looking the way she was. Ill and a lot of pain. Running to her aid, he began evaluating her condition, though he was unsure as to what could be causing her sudden fever and illness.

Sirius and Remus would need to stay on Wormtail, otherwise he'd likely get away and they couldn't risk that. They needed to turn him over to Dumbledore for interrogation, and Severus had the perfect way of doing so. Something so wonderful, Veritaserum. The serum was very useful when pulling the truth from someone, and he knew he'd not only enjoy forcing it down Wormtail's throat, but also that of Sirius Black.

At the distraction, Wormtail attempted to escape again, he was stopped by Harry blocking the door, wand aimed at his chest, "Don't move! What did you do to my Aunt! Why is she sick? Look at her! What did you do to her!"

Wormtail never answered, he ran back to the Piano, under and around the breaking antique as Sirius and Remus chased him all over again, finally cornering him.

"You sold James and Lily to Voldemort, didn't you!" Remus shouted, starting the integration, hoping they wouldn't have to use any form of magic or potion to get him to talk.

Knowing he was cornered and with nowhere to go, Peter’s stomach dropped, flipping with fear as he began crying from the memories he was being forced to remember by his own mind. "I didn't mean to! The dar-dark Lord, you haven't any idea the power he processes! I thought of you, Sirius, what you would have done." Wormtail continued crying, his fear was so overwhelming to him he was barely able to hold himself up.

Enraged at what Pettigrew was admitting, Sirius exploded with fury, he’d thought he was unable to feel this much rage, this much hatred. He thought it had once been impossible. "I would have died! I would have died rather than betray my family! You should have realized Peter, if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would!"

"No!" Harry and Draco both shouted out. They all knew the best way to go about this was to turn Wormtail over to the authorities, Emma had already said Dumbledore knew Wormtail was alive, he was under the impression that Peter was being hunted down at the moment to be brought to him.

Harry took a breath, he was worried for his Aunt, she was holding her head with a look of pain and slouched over. Snape was attempting to help her calm down.

"We take him back to the castle," Harry finally had enough. Moving to his Aunt, he held onto an arm, trying to look her over, "Professor, what's wrong with her?"

The two shared a concerned look, "I-I don't know, come on. We need to get her to Poppy." Severus lifted Emma up into his arms, "Come along. Lupin, body bind Pettigrew and levitate him, be sure he has nothing on him we don't need a repeat from twelve years ago. Black, Mr. Malfoy, help Mr. Weasley walk out of here. We are reporting directly to Professor Dumbledore. Emma are you alright?"

She tried everything she had to give an answer, a full answer, but all she could comprehend was pain throbbing in her head, a pressure she couldn't control, "My head, it-it's-" the pain was too much she was unable to give an answer, let alone finish her sentence to Severus. The slightest touch to her head or neck was like she was being hit with high amounts of electricity bolting through her muscles. Her mind's eye was flashing through images, images that weren't there before.

Emma's memory was coming back in painful flashes.


	22. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 22 **

* * *

They had made it to the School and delivered Emma and Ron to the hospital wing and Wormtail to Dumbledore. They were a bit surprised to find Fudge, Mad-Eye, who was staring intensely between the Animagus Rat as he was levitated in and Sirius Black, Nymphadora Tonks – Mad-eyes Auror trainee-, Kingsley Shackelbolt, Barty Crouch and two other Aurors to witness this arrest and interrogation immediately.

They all watched with shock and disbelief as Pettigrew shivered, fighting against the body binds screaming and crying, "Please! I'm sorry! I didn't mean too! I'M SORRY!"

Hearing enough, Mad-eye silenced Peter with a wave of his wand, "Give me that Potion Snape! Hand the other to Sirius. We'll question Sirius first."

Not really wishing to cause an argument, Snape did as told, handing one of the vials of his Veritaserum to Mad-Eye and the other to Sirius, who was finally glad to have this potion given to him, something he had begged for when in Azkaban, yet he’d been refused. The guards had enjoyed torturing him and the other inmates. Sirius drank the potion willingly and with anticipation as the questions began, Fudge starting with the most desired question of his accusations, "Do you, Sirius Black, have anything to do with the Dark Lord?"

"No,"

Shackelbolt stepped forward, he wanted answers just as much as anyone, but he decided to not let his questions become personal, "Are you a Death Eater, by any means shape or form?"

"No,"

Barty took notes as the questioning continued, "Did you have anything to do, personally and willingly, with the murders of the Lily and James Potter?" he asked.

"I feel responsible since I handed their safety and care over to Wormtail, the replacement Keeper, but the answer is no, I had nothing to do with it."

Albus knew his question would be personal simply because he had placed the Potters in Sirius Black's care personally, "Why did you feel the need to not inform anyone of the switch?"

"Someone was following me. I didn't want to risk James and the others any more than they possibly already were. So, I suggested Pettigrew, I thought since he was less likely to be put into a security detail, like Remus or myself, that he'd be the best choice to keep them safe. I was be the decoy. But my trust was misplaced. After I secured the area and left, I found no traces of being followed any longer. I had no way to contact Peter and I couldn't get a hold of anyone, my Patronus was ignored or destroyed. We took every safety precaution. I was too late figuring out why everything seemed off, when I got back to the house it was too late. I didn't know who to trust and I thought I could trust Peter, but my judgement was very misplaced. Truthfully, I was under the suspicions Remus was the traitor, so I left him out, I didn't trust him, I never thought Peter would betray us. Especially not James and Lily."

In truth, they could all understand Sirius’s reasons behind that, not knowing who to trust, then played to think the real person you could trust was the false spy, even Dumbledore would have done the same thing.

"Peter Pettigrew was the replacement Keeper to the Potters and Emma, yes? Who tampered with Miss Evans memory after she came out of surgery?"

"Yes, he was the replacement Keeper of the Potter family. But I don't know officially, however, I'd suspect it was Pettigrew."

Fudge sighed, rubbing his forehead. He was sweating, he and the others of his and Barty's council had sentenced an innocent man to prison, with no trial and not even given the option to use Veritaserum simply because putting Sirius Black in Azkaban had been the ‘easiest’ way for conviction. Had they given him the serum and him found innocent right then, they'd had been forced to have dealt with a dead-end case with no leads, and that was not optional for Fudge at the time.

"Are you innocent in all accounts that you were charged with?"

"Yes, I am innocent in all accounts." Everyone in the room, besides Barty and Fudge, turned to look at Pettigrew shrink and squirmed to keep from having the serum forced down his throat, "Tonks! Get over here and help me." Alastor shouted with sheer irritation. He was having difficulty, Mad-Eye had one good hand at that moment, he'd broken one of his arms chasing a death eater and other dark witches and wizards just a few days ago.

Tonks grinned, "With pleasure Mad-eye," grabbing ahold of Pettigrew by the back of his stiff and nasty hair, pulling back and grabbed Peter’s jaw, forcing it open as Alastor pored the serum into his mouth. Once the Serum was in, Tonks closed his mouth and held it closed as Mad-eye held his nose, making the Animagus rat swallow his doom. The two Auror’s released him and allowed him to cough, "Did Sirius Black replace you as Secret Keeper, to used himself as the decoy." Alastor growled.

"Y-yes,"

"Did you, Peter Pettigrew, give up the Potter’s location, allowing the Death Eaters and Voldemort access to the Safe house through the charm Dumbledore put in place." Fudge stated, there was no need to even ask anything in a question, his first answer to the first question was 'yes' by all means to everyone, Peter Pettigrew was already convicted.

Peter's face turned red from trying to fight the serum, his eyes filling with tears as they all rolled down his face, "hm-nahu-ugha!"

"ANSWER THE QUESTION!" Alastor barked, slamming his heavy walking stick into the hard-stone floor startling everyone and nearly sending Pettigrew in a round of peeing himself.

"YES!"

"Did you, Peter Pettigrew, know Lily Potter was three months pregnant!" Dumbledore shouted, his rage, and everyone else's rage, was finally being released upon the real culprit. "Yes! I knew, I KNEW!"

"Did you leave Emma to die, not even a month pregnant herself!" Tonks accused, her dear Emma, one of the women she had admired for years, besides Lily, had lost a child, her sister and her unborn niece or nephew. Emma never mentioned being pregnant to anyone besides Andromeda, Molly and Sissy. But this new information left a few of the others in shocked and sick to the stomach. Especially Sirius, he never knew Emma had been pregnant. And he wished he had just killed Peter.

"Ye-yes. I thought she was dead though, I-I never meant for her and Lily to get hurt. I-I thought she'd at least get Lily out, Harry wa-was the only one that was supposed to be killed… " Pettigrew continued screaming.

Sirius advanced upon the still body bound Pettigrew, "So, you sentence a child to death for your own pathetic survival!"

"YES! The Dark Lord is powerful, there was no point in fighting against someone with so much power! It was a losing battle!"

"Peter Pettigrew are you, in any shape or form, involved or a part of the Death Eater's community besides being involved with the Dark Lord?"

"Y-Yes,"

"Did you tamper with Emma's memories?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Y-yes, I did-I did..."

"Why did you tamper with her memory when you could have easily killed her? It could have been easier on you, yes?" Alastor stepped in, Peter shock in his clothes, the tears still flowing and his limbs shaking and shivering.

"Be-because, I didn't want her to die... Sirius, James and Remus, even Severus, always got the girls. I wanted to mak-make her forget about loving Sirius, I wanted her to think she didn't want anyone, none of us. No Marauder… No one… I didn't want any of the Marauders of the group to h-have any of the girls we associated with. Emma being unconscious just made her an easy target, a test to see if I could do it. But that Weasley woman ruined it all! **SHE RUINED IT**!”

“Why! Why make her forget? Such a terrible reason, Pathetic!” Snape snapped, charging the Rat. Sirius had moved with him, Snape had the right idea of throttling Peter, and he’d help. But the arms of Remus and Shackelbolt holding the two men back was what had saved the former Marauder friend.

“I wanted her to forget Sirius, I wanted her to forget us all. I couldn’t get near Gabrielle. She was always close to Severus! He’d have killed me the moment he realized I was there. Emma was the next option. But after a while, Severus became a problem. So, I tried taking the kids! If he didn’t have them, I could separate him from the girls, I could get rid of Snape. Then Emma became a nuisance, always close to the Weasleys and others, I feared she’d figure me out soon enough! I should have killed her when I had the chance! But that damn cat continued getting in the way! Always in a way! Just like that damn clumsy owl! And Molly, always near her! I couldn’t never get near her even when I tried, never could get that woman out of the way! Always slamming into things, knocking over the poison in the cup! I could never be rid of them!"

_‘This is Ludicrous! The man has gone insane!’_ Fudge thought, staring at Peter Pettigrew, or the shell of who he had once been, with shock. The years of living in such a state and in constant fear had turned the man’s mind and driven him nearly crazy.

"Were you forced, under any form of curse or black mail to join Voldemort and his follower's and perform the tasks you did."

"No, he only threatened my life when I lied about everyone's location in the beginning. I couldn't fight him forever, the torture he did, when he found out I had lied was unbearable. I gave them all up, everyone." Peter cried.

Shocked at this reaction Fudge was nearly red in the face, "You realize that the moment you gave up every order member and every innocent person involved in trying to fight that War resulted in several deaths!" Fudge stated, "Shackelbolt, Alastor, bring him with us, we will be escorting him to the Ministry of Magic for Processing!"

Nodding, Shackelbolt rebound Pettigrew and all Disapparated with the screams of Peter cutting off as they vanished.

"Congratulations Sirius, as of tomorrow you shall be a free man." Dumbledore said with a sad smile and nod to the man he had wrongly accused and thought wrongly of for so long.

Sirius smiled, shaking the Professor's hand with gratitude, then hugged Albus. He was even happier when Albus returned the hug, "Thank you, I can't wait for it."

Their attention was brought about by Remus dazing out, Snape had snapped his figures in front of his face in confusion until he looked in the direction of Remus's dazing and found the full moon, panic filled him as he turned to look at Harry, Hermione and Draco. His students were now in danger, "Dumbledore,"

Sirius was the first to reach Remus as his body began shifted, his bones breaking, his skin turning grey and his limbs growing in length.

Snape backed himself in front of the three students, guarding them from the transforming Remus.

Draco and Harry grabbed a hold of Hermione and moved her behind them, "What's happening."

"He's a were-wolf!" Hermione informed them. This shocked the two boys as they looked at her, "What!"

Sirius wrapped his arms around Remus's shifting form as he screamed in pain, "Someone, get us to the Forest!" Sirius shouted over his shoulder, fearful Remus would finish transforming in the middle of Dumbledore's office and possibly kill everyone there. He was filled with relief when Snape swiftly moved from his spot and grabbed a hold of the two and began Disapparating. To their dismay, the three students rushed them, quickly latching onto one of the three adults and all six apparated in front of the Shrieking Shack.

The three of them landed on their butts with an uncomfortable grunt, all three paling when Snape jerked the three of them from their fallen state and ushered them near the house, trying to keep them all from view. He couldn't leave to take the three students back, if he left and something happened to Sirius and Remus, Snape knew it may be too late to aid one or both of them. So, he was forced to stay, keeping the kids near the house, behind the bushes for cover.

All watched in terror as Sirius was thrown back from a screaming were-wolf now fully transformed, his nose picking up the smell of fresh meat, three kids and one adult, and one scent the were-wolf knew belonged to someone he didn't much care for. Remus was having problems controlling his wolf as the beast moved all its own. He couldn't stop himself as he advanced slowly towards the covered brush near the house, shouting with shock and irritation when he was side blinded by a large black dog, knocking him off to the side and slammed the were-wolf into the steps of the house, ripping a yelp of slight pain. Remus swung his claws out at Sirius and slashed him across his face, he swung again slashing him across his chest, picked him up and bit down into his neck shoulder then threw him off into the distance with a painful cry.

In a panic, Harry rushed around Snape and began throwing stones, whatever he could get his hands on, and aimed it at Remus. He had to get his attention away from Sirius hoping he would regain his strength for a few seconds. Harry became worried for a moment at how close Remus was getting to him, Harry was even more stunned when Snape pulled him back from the claw Remus had aimed at the boy and narrowly missed him.

"Stay behind me Potter!" Snape turned seconds before a claw came near his face. He had to say, he was thankful when Sirius, yet again, threw himself into Remus causing the claws to miss Snape's face by an inch, if he was that lucky.

The impact sent them both into the woods and rushing after each other.

Hermione and Draco held onto Harry for dear life while Snape stood stunned with fear, he had come so close to almost being clawed and possibly bitten himself. He barely had time to react when Harry moved past him, rushing into the woods after a screaming Sirius who was likely not having a lucky time wrestling the were-wolf Remus, "Come back here Potter!"

"Harry!" Both teens screamed after their friend as he vanished into the dark night of the Dark Forest. "DRACO, NO!" Hermione screamed latching onto the blond, stopping him from running after Harry, "Hermione, we can't let him go in there alone!" Draco argued.

"Not happening, Malfoy!" Snape growled, grabbing onto both kids' jackets, Disapparating and apparated into Dumbledore's office, "Potter ran after Sirius and Remus into the woods."

It took them about an hour to find Harry and Sirius. They had been attacked by Dementor's and nearly killed. Dumbledore had said they were lucky to be alive, especially since Fudge and the others hadn't had the chance to likely get Sirius Black cleared of the charges, let alone to call off the Dementor's search.

* * *

The next morning Dumbledore walked into the Hospital wing to check on everyone. Emma was still unconscious. It seemed she had a talent for being rendered unconscious in multiple occasions.

Poppy had informed the Headmaster she had been forced to sedate Emma due to the migraine becoming intense and painful after moving throughout her body. Almost as if she was being sent back into a coma. To this news, they all began hoping Emma didn't succumb to the comatose once again, because this time they may just lose her.

Ron's right leg had been wrapped in a plaster cast after having it torn badly from Sirius' attack, fortunately they got Peter from the boys grasp. The bone had been fractured.

Sirius had apologized to the Weasley boy several times over the few hours while he was getting it set, wrapped and plastered by Poppy. But had other thoughts in his mind as Dumbledore spoke to Hermione, all three males looking at her in utter confusion.

"Three turns should do the trick, Miss Granger." With that, Dumbledore left the wing to return to his remaining paperwork, mostly paperwork regarding Emma, Harry and Sirius, all papers on Guardianship of the boy and Sirius's release papers from Azkaban. He didn't want to be the bearer of bad news any more than they had already suffered, but he had to at least inform Remus and the others.

"Ah, thank you all for coming at such a short notice. Unfortunately, Kingsley and I have some disturbing news." Dumbledore started and handed the floor to Kingsley with a nod and finished making his way to his desk.

"Peter Pettigrew has escaped. He was aided by fellow Death Eaters while he was being escorted to the executioner's chamber. Three Auror's were killed and Tonks was injured as was Alastor Moody. I am afraid we have no idea where he is. Dumbledore has the school on high alert with more security. We have Auror's stationed around the school and inside also. The school is in lock-down and very well guarded, Pettigrew will likely go into hiding again. He doesn't have the stomach to come back here, but just for precautions Auror's that are not working cases shall be put on Hogwarts security details." Kingsley informed everyone, this left them all in gasps of shock. Pettigrew was missing and, on the loss, once again. But the important thing was that Sirius was free, that was the only good part about that messed up situation.

They had all been hoping the Death Eaters would have left him to the executioner, but they must have thought he was still useful against the allies for the Wizarding world. They had underestimated them all, even Pettigrew.

They were angry, horrified and shocked, especially Snape. Now he knew Pettigrew was the rat in the Death Eaters mist that gave up the Potters', and now he was free by the help of Voldemort's followers, which meant Snape was going to have a very hard time explaining this to Voldemort, if or when he was returned. Severus Snape was in pure panic. His family was now in danger.

_'I have to move them, they can't stay here.'_

Everyone's attention was drawn to Dumbledore's office door as it opened, they were a bit shocked when Minerva and Poppy walked in together. They understood why Minerva was there, but they were honestly confused why Poppy was present. They quickly found out when she sighed in exhaustion, "Emma still has not woken up. Molly said she will be having her moved to the Potter Estate until she wakes up. A friend of mine, a Medical Doctor and healer, just finished looking her over, said he would more than gladly come to see her himself for a second opinion. We both agree, and believe, she'll wake up when she is ready. Her mind was terribly messed with last time, now her memories are coming back. That's the only logical explanation for what's going on. Everyone said this all began when she saw Peter Pettigrew, it must have sent her mind into some kind of shock, had I not sedated her, her magic would have exploded out and possibly blown the Hospital wing into disarray. But most likely she'll wake up in a few weeks." Poppy informed them all.

"Ah, well, now that we have two opinions of two different professionals, I think we can say Emma is not in any form of danger of not waking up, I will give the doctor access to the Estate until she wakes up then. I'm sure Sirius will likely not wish to leave her side at all, am I correct, Mr. Black?"

"Most definitely Albus. I doubt she'll not have a single person fussing over her for a while." Sirius said, he was joking a little, but of course he meant some seriousness to it also. He knew he'd be fussing over her for quite some time. Like she would most likely do for him. It was an equal balance between the two.

**Time Turned**

Hermione, Draco, and Harry rushed through the bridge, both boys demanding what was going on and what the heck happened and why everything and everyone was moving backwards in time, why Ron suddenly vanishing. That had scared the boys more than anything, even more so when Hermione looked as if she was so used to it happening and very unfazed by it.

"Hermione, will you please tell us what the hell is going on!" Harry shouted. Hearing enough, she turned quickly on them, shoved them both against the wall and pulled out the necklace she used and began explaining, "This is a time turner. McGonagall gave this to me first term. This is how I've been getting to my classes all year."

"You mean you've been going back in time?" Harry asked in disbelief, he was about to become a believer when they heard Hermione screaming at Finn about being a cockroach and watched her punch him all over again from a different angle and viewpoint.

"So glad that's not me getting punched- oh shit!" Draco whispered in a panic. Grabbing Harry, he rushed him over to one of the open windows arches and shoved him over and out and took a leap of faith as Hermione jumped out with him. Both landing next to him and helped Harry from the fallen state he was put in. Draco tried not to laugh when Harry glared a good one at Draco, who simply shrugged and snickered, "Sorry, panicked."

They made their way down to Hagrid's behind their past selves and hid behind the large Pumpkin patch and the three trying to figure out why they weren't leaving yet. Hermione found a few familiar stones while Draco held Harry back from bursting through the window or door of Hagrid's home to kill Pettigrew or take him into custody himself sooner. "He betrayed my parents, Draco. He's the reason Emma is in the Hospital unconscious, she may never wake up! She's the last family I have left besides Sirius."

Draco was near seething, Harry may be his best friend, but he was really beginning to piss him off with this hole last family thing, "Harry James Potter, if that is the kind of faith you have in Emma and still thinking you still only have her as family, then you're more of a fool than I ever thought. She's your biological Aunt, yes, but she's my Aunt too, and Ron's. Sirius is your godfather, you call Remus ' _uncle'_ , you look at Molly like a second mother, Hermione and Ron may as well be your siblings of some form, or cousins really. Emma is legally _my_ **_godmother._** That makes you and me **real** family… You have more than just her as family Harry Potter. It's best you start remembering it. Emma is important to us all, but you were important to her first in life because she was willing to die for you! And she nearly did die for you, and your mother and your unborn sibling! But if you go bursting in there, everyone will think we've all gone madder than the Hatter! Now sit back and -" **_CRASH!_**

Draco sighed, rubbing his forehead as he brushed his hair from his face as he looked at Hermione with a look of _'what the bloody hell are you thinking woman,'_ kind of look. He almost laughed when she shrugged like she was innocent, "Wait for Hermione to do something almost just as crazy, come on. We'll be coming out the back- there we are. Time to go, now." He grumbled, rushing behind the trees as their previous selves hide behind the very same place.

Thankfully their past selves hadn't stayed there very long, and it gave them a very high chance to get Buck-Beak out of there. Draco had nearly peed himself when Fudge and the executioner walked out, thankfully Dumbledore was distracting everyone which gave them the window to get the Hippogriff out of there, leading the Hippogriff to his new freedom.

They sighed with slight exhaustion as they made their way to Shrieking Shack to wait for everything to accrue. Rushing after Harry, Sirius and Remus when they all rushed into the woods and made it on the other side of the lake, Harry constantly chanting about his father coming to save them, "Right there, wait for it, he'll come."

"Harry, no one is coming." Draco stated, he was really beginning to worry, Harry and Sirius were being attacked by a large pack of Dementor's and from the looks of it, they feared the two wouldn't survive if someone doesn't intervene.

Draco and Hermione stood back behind Harry, watching and holding onto one another's hands tightly for comfort as they watched. They smiled wide with excitement and awe when they watched Harry dashing out from the shadows and cast a spell loudly and with power, _" **Expecto Patronum!** " _A large bright white Stage stood before them for a few seconds, then suddenly dashed into the air driving all of the Dementor's away.

Draco smiled with an excited laugh leaving him "That was awesome,"

They waited there for a while until the unconscious Harry and Sirius were found, gathered then taken back to the school and made it back just in time to witness themselves leaving Ron in the Hospital wing, leaving the poor redhead confused and in slight fear and stumble over his words.

The three couldn't help but laugh, "We'll explain later Ron," Draco said walking up to him, "How are you doing?"

"Confused as to what happened and what's going on, leg's poundin' with pain but so far I'm fine."

The rest of the school year went by like a breeze to the four friends, they were excited about going home soon, but in Draco's mind he was going to be visiting Emma all summer. His mother had told him, for his own safety, not to return home, yet. Though, he was shocked to find that this did not bother him a single bit. Narcissa had informed him she'd do her best to come see him, on the other hand the visits would be random and unannounced. They all knew Emma wouldn't care. And speaking of Emma, she'd thankfully woken up a week and a half after the incident and on a full way to recovery with no damage at all to her or her mind, which had never happened, so she was a very rare case indeed.

The power of the Evans family.

The four friends walked towards the Headmasters office with Draco leading the way, they had all been curious and confused as to why Draco had been suddenly summoned to see Dumbledore with such urgency, they had two days left of school. "Any idea why Dumbledore requested to see you at such a short notice?" Ron had finally had enough of the silence, they were all thinking of asking anyways and his brain was itching to know, he was just nosy really, like the other three weren't either but Draco had to have some idea what was going on, right?

"No, not a clue. I haven't done anything that I know of, I've been with you guys. Professor McGonagall approached me early this morning informing me that I was summoned to the Headmaster's office and then left. That's also kind of why I asked you three if you wouldn't mind coming with me. I know Ron's on crutches, but I really don't have a good feeling about this for some reason, something's just been weird lately, I won't lie either, I'm somewhat freaking out." And he was, Draco was the definition of worried, and possibly more.

Hermione smiled, she really had no idea _why_ she was so chipper, she just was, but she supposed that maybe it was meant to be since Draco needed some positivity. So, she linked an arm of hers through one of his and smiled up at him, and he couldn't help but smile back with a laugh. Unlinking their arms, he moved to drape it around her as she latched her previous linked arm around his waist and linked her other free arm through one of Harry's as he patted Ron's back a bit, the poor boy still had his crutch after a month, his leg was still healing.

"Try not to worry so much Draco. I'm sure it's nothing terrible," Hermione said, trying her best to cheer up the worried blond.

"Yeah, like you said, you haven't done anything wrong, you've been with us at just about every waking hour of the year. Trust me, you haven't done anything wrong." Ron sighed with a few grunts here and there, the crutches were a bit annoying, he hated limping.

This had succeeded in cheering Draco up as they all smiled and laughed. Unfortunately, it hadn't lasted long, their cheerfulness and laughter faded quickly when they entered Dumbledore's office and found a few people they weren't expecting to see, least of all Lucius Malfoy.

Their eyes traveled around the room. All four teens made eye contact with everyone's eyes currently present in the office looking at them. The eyes of Albus Dumbledore, Emma, McGonagall, Snape, and finally, to Draco terror, Lucius Malfoy. Said last, didn't look pleased whatsoever to be there in the school, considering the last time he was sent flying back by a house elf he had been tricked into freeing.

Lucius stood with a stiff body, uncomfortable at every angle and a tight, vise like grip on his walking stick like it was his safety net looking between his son and Hermione, the contact they had disturbed him and turned his stomach in disgust. His son was friends with a _'mud-blood'_ , as a disturbing thought entered his mind with terrifying consequences for his future.

_'He may look like my son, but that is not my child. He is not my son any longer! A traitor I will not have in my home, nor bloodline.'_

Lucius's thoughts practically rolled off him and onto the children.

Hermione took the brunt of the glares, shrinking behind Draco as a chilling shiver slithered up her spine and Lucius grinned in small triumph at the action.

Draco could see very clearly that his father was seething with disgust and anger as his father eyed his arm around Hermione. Draco knew the look his father held on his face all too well, a look of pure disappointment, disgust, uncomfortable and nonrecognition to him as family or a son. And he found it strange that instead of it hurting like he had thought it might, it only stung a little, but his father's stealing glare sent shivers through him even when his anger only stung him. Wishing to get his father's glaring eyes away from his friends, Draco slipped his arm from around Hermione and gently moved her just slightly behind him as he spoke to Lucius, "Father? What's going on?" Draco asked, knowing very well that if he had addressed anyone else, Lucius would be having a fit, even when he was already in the ending stage of the one he was currently in.

_'What did I do this time?'_

Lucius took in a heavy breath, "Dumbledore, seems to be under the impression that you, Draco, are the cause of the Sorting Hat's strange behavior." He said accusingly to his son, his tone was soft, yet clearly audible, with a sharp edge as he spoke to the young Malfoy, who just looked more confused than when he had walked through the door, which seemed to irritate the father even more. Lucius liked having answers, and he had no answers about what was going on, just more questions to ask about.

Draco had no idea what was going on, no one did in truth. They were all confused, but they could all clearly feel, and see, the tension between the father and son, "I'm confused, what do you mean that I am supposedly the reason of the Sorting Hat's strange behavior? What's going on?" It was a fair question, but again, no one had the answers.

Hermione took a deep breath of courage and stepped out from around Draco's protection, "Draco hasn't done anything wrong, Mr. Malfoy," She said coming forward, she had to stand her ground, she was not going to allow herself to shrink back in fear forever against anyone who thought her lower than them simply because she was a muggle-born Witch, and she definitely was not going to let Draco felt as if he was alone in the office with everyone within it accusing him of something that none of them understood.

All four of their hearts were racing, they had no idea what was going on and Draco's father had just made an accusation against his own son that made no sense. It wasn't until Emma stepped forward to calm them down, to attempt to set things straight, "No one is accusing him of anything Hermione. Lucius, I'm afraid, is simply upset as to what is possibly happening. This has never happened before in history, not ever. So, we're all a bit unsure ourselves and how to handle this. However, we have a hunch we're playing around with. So, please, everyone try to calm yourselves. Lucius, please take a seat and do try to compose yourself…" Emma spoke to them all calmly, however her tone had sharpened a little as she turned her attention to Lucius with a pointed glare, a silent warning to tread carefully. Though, he had simply rolled his eyes at her and huffed with annoyance, choosing to ignore her.

"Draco, the Sorting hat has a magical binding contract between the students and the school. Now, once he has sorted you into your house your name is bound to that house, that is done so the paintings and ghosts know you are a part of their house, that and if you have the password they usually let you in, but it is their recognition of you, not just the password that allows them to let you pass into the Common rooms." Snape began to explain to the students, he could see their confusion still and honestly, he wasn't sure how to get them to understand what was going on, he knew he should just come out and say it, but he didn't want them to think he thought they were dim-witted, which was not always the case, sometimes they had their smart moments, just not always in his classroom, unfortunately. Severus was very thankful when Dumbledore took control of the situation, allowing him to breathe a gentle sigh of relief.

"Draco, have you experienced any kind of difficulty trying to gain access to the Slytherin Common rooms? Or anything dealing with Slytherin access in general? I know there are places on, and in, the school that only permit certain people from certain houses to enter, password or not." Dumbledore asked the boy in wonder, but he knew the answer already, but he was asking to gain more insight as to other things, many things Draco had questions where he would have answers and vise-versa.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean anything, I've always had difficulty getting into the Common room, why? I'm sorry, Professor, I still don't understand what's going on." They all understood his concern, as of the last month of school, the sorting hat had been singing random chants that they have never heard before and the Hat was not giving them any answers, leaving them with so many unanswered questions and more continued to come to their minds as it had gone. But they were not realizing that Draco was beginning to fear he had done something to result in his expulsion, because you don't regain access to your house once you've been expelled, it was either expulsion or his father was removing him from Hogwarts to send him elsewhere.

His fear heightened when every adult in the room took a heavy breath in and sighed, "Draco, your name has somehow vanished from our Slytherin records, as if you had never been sorted your first year. As a result of this strange event, the Sorting Hat has, as we continue to say, been acting very strange over the last month or so, at least it has been going on as of a month since we only noticed it. This also means you are an unsorted student attending Hogwarts, though thankfully you are passing very well, your mother and Emma are very proud you are doing so well. However, back to the topic at hand. No house is recognizing you as one of their occupancies, but fear not, we have a way of correcting this mishap, we have to **_Re-sort_** you into the proper house, if I am assuming correctly, that the Sorting Hat barely touched your head when he first sorted you, this is also a problem. You see, the Hat, to sort you properly, must be sat atop your head but you my dear boy, barely had it touch you when it called out Slytherin. Now, likely you will be re-sorted into Slytherin, however, there is a chance you may be put into a different house." Dumbledore was very careful when he informed the boy of the situation, he was calm and spoke slowly, not too slow as to give him the impression he thought the poor boy was dime, but to allow the words to sink in so they didn't have to repeat all of this.

Now everyone seemed to understand what was going on and why Lucius, McGonagall, Snape and Emma were present, and why Lucius was so upset. They all knew that ever since Draco had become close friends with 'the Golden Trio' he had been showing different characteristics, he had even told the three friends he really didn't care much for Slytherin, but he respected what the House stood for, the meaning behind Slytherin, Cunning, Ambition and much more. But the rest was just a cruel joke to him, pure bloods were very far and few, they had watered down their own blood by intermarriages as the centuries went on and it had weakened them, that was at least Draco's impression of it all. The four had felt instant relief when panic left them. Yet their confusion stayed for a while longer, they all knew, everyone in the room, that it was impossible to be 're-sorted'. Once you were sorted, no matter how fast or how slow, you belonged to that house indefinitely.

"Okay, so… Ho-how is this possible to happen?" again, it was a fair question, but they didn't have any answers for that.

They weren't going to lie to him though, "We don't know Draco… We have the very same question, but he isn't speaking to us. This has never happened before." McGonagall explained looking rather beside herself with worry and confusion, that was what caused the teens, and Emma, equal worry.

This was a lot to take in for everyone in Dumbledore's office. Still, it kind of did make sense in some way. With a sigh, shrug Draco walked towards the Headmaster, "Alright, let's get this over with then, I'm tired of having to walk in with someone's help just to get into my bed when I'm tired. Maybe afterwards the Hat can give us some answers when his mind is right again." Now they all liked the sound of that idea.

As Draco approached the chair, the Hat began to sing his song of Sorting, though he had instantly began a conversation once he was finished, "Ah, so I now see the person who has caused my sorting to become undone. Come now boy, so I may sort you and refinish my job." Draco could hear the Hat's irritation and annoyance, but Draco felt the same way. However, if he was going to talk now, Draco was going to get whatever answers he could get from the singing Hat, "I **_was_** a Slytherin, you sorted me yourself, obviously, my first year here. Why am I no longer recognized as a Slytherin Student?"

The Hat nodded to him, in understanding as well, "I remember you, Draco Malfoy. Your first year I sorted you into Slytherin, purely on purity of blood, name sake and the arrogance of your father, yes, hello Lucius, I know you're glaring but please, continue to glare, for I do not care. However, Draco, something has taken a turn of some sort and I do not understand what has happened any more than you annoying lot trying to press me for answers I cannot give, let alone think of myself. All I know is that you, Draco Malfoy, have become unsorted from the house of Slytherin. Now sit." That was that.

Draco sat in the chair. He was having a bit of a hard time not laughing at his Father's seething anger rolling from his very pores at what he Sorting Hat had said as the Hat began his sorting with glee. "From past to present, from present to future. A future of change and challenge. A fire to burn bright and strong within, talent, and cunning I still see, for a future to be which has now been changed, choose the right paths and so shall it be… I see the Lion guiding this one's mind, body and soul, no longer is this seed in the vice of the Serpent, but beside the Lion and watched by the Serpents great eyes. GRYFFINDOR! SO SHALL YOU BE! ... Now leave me to peace, I am restless."

This was a shocker, everyone stared, eyes wide and jaws nearly unhinged. Draco Malfoy had been unsorted then Re-sorted, from Slytherin to Gryffindor. Never had the Sorting Hat ever said anything like that before, about anyone, not even for Emma, nor Dumbledore or Tom Riddle. The Hat had gone further in shocking them all by admitting something they never thought they'd ever hear him say when he had looked to Severus and said his deepest regrets, "I have only ever made three mistakes in sorting, Severus Snape, one I was able to correct today, but one of the


	23. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 23 **

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Harry sighed walking down for Breakfast when he found Draco sitting in the small living room staring at a few letters. He had refused to talk since he got them and that had been two days ago. Harry was getting worried.

Ron bounded down the steps with excitement, the twins and Ginny right behind him with Hermione. Summer had just started about a week ago and they were already having the best time they'd had. Sirius was fun and adventurous, and the twins loved being around him, they talked about pranks and tricks and what they'd done.

Sirius shared a few secrets with them and the others, even Ginny had listened in then pranked the boys with Hermione when they weren't paying attention. He had been so baffled he'd simply looked at the girls with shock, but his shock had turned to pride in the girls while the others looked at the two laughing females as if they were aliens.

"If you're going to talk about pranks don't do it around us if you don't want to be turned into test subjects" Ginny giggled, pulling a laughing Hermione along with her only to scream with excitement three minutes later after the front door opened was answered.

"AH! there are my girls!" a woman called with equal excitement.

"Dora!"

"Hey, so guess what your father got a few days ago, Ginny." Dora asked, her hair turning pink with excitement as the two girls bounced with joy, "What?"

"Tickets for the entire family and a few friends to go to the Quidditch World Cup. Irish vs Bulgaria." Dora said grinning, as the two girls jumped with excitement squealing like giddy schoolgirls.

"I've always wanted to see a World Cup tournament!" Ginny said and ran back into the kitchen to Emma and her mother, "Mum, mum, mum! Guess what Dora just told Hermione and me!"

Molly shared a smiling look with Emma out of the corner of one another's eye "Does this little surprise have anything to do with why you were squealing with excitement?"

"Yes! Dad got tickets for us to go to the Quidditch World Cup! The whole family!" Ginny was excited, she couldn't come down from it.

Sirius walked up to them laughing as he watched the bouncing girl and wrapped his arms around Dora in a tight hug. "Hey Dora." His heart broke at how much she had grown, how much time he'd missed, "Merlin you grew up."

Dora took a few breaths to hold herself together, but it didn't stop a few tears from falling, "That's what happens when you age Sirius, by the way, mum says hello and sorry she couldn't come today. Dad's been sick for a few days so she's home taking care of him." _'We finally have you home.'_

"Breakfast is done, Dora, we made your favorite." Molly said as she and Emma started setting homemade biscuits and the rest of Breakfast on the table as everyone crowded around, everyone but Draco.

At Draco's absence Harry decided to say something, his friend had been silent for a few days too long and it was not him at all. Walking into the living room silently Harry knocked gently onto the small side table startling the blond from his comfortable reclined position, "Sorry, wasn't trying to startled you, um Breakfast is done."

Draco sighed with relief seeing it was only Harry and went back to his position, propping his legs back up over the arm of the sofa, "Yeah, I heard. Not hungry, though. Thanks."

"Come on Draco, you haven't eaten anything for two days and you've been quiet too. You're worrying us, what happened? ... Come on, talk to me." Harry waited as patiently as he could, except he didn't have to wait too long.

Draco sighed in defeat as he sat himself up and handed the two letters to Harry who began to read them. One from was with written in Lucius hand, documents of disownment and Emancipation already signed by both his parents and the other from his mother telling her son of an unknown bank account and records under the name Aurora Rose E.B.W. and papers of guardianship, and most shockingly, forms of adoption addressed to Emma.

**_"I'm doing this for your safety. Hopefully, once this is all over, we can be a family again. Until then, I have to do my part in the shadows to ensure your survival. I'll always love you, no matter what happens. Don't hate your father, he's scared, unsure of what to do, he's doing what he feels is needed to survive. He hasn't realized that by doing things this way, he's lost his family and I will not lose you too. Give this letter and the forms to Emma, she'll know what to do, I love you Draco. You will always be my son, you will always be a Malfoy."_ **

Harry sighed, that was a lot to take in from the letters, now Harry was depressed on behalf of Draco, "Well, I can definitely see why you've been so upset lately, I mean anyone would be. But, Draco, your mum is trying to protect you, you father is scared which means something… Someone, is coming our way that frightens him. However, I think his uh… His harshness of these documents are not his way of, um…" He really didn't want to say it because he didn't want to make Draco feel worse.

He was soon comforted by the blonde when he shrugged and laughed a little at Harry's hesitation, "It's okay, say it. I think the same thing. He's disowned me because I'm not only no longer a Slytherin, but I'm not even regarded as his son anymore. I'm barely like my mother, but I have more of her in me than him. To my father, if I'm not in Slytherin with no desire to live in the Malfoy Manor then I'm no longer his child, well, no longer a Malfoy child, he's still my dad and I've never been this bothered by him doing something close to this. Now, I can't help but feel betrayed, abandoned and very disturbed that he not only considered this, but actually went through with it." Draco had no idea how to feel about this because he truly did feel betrayed and alone now, even though he really wasn't, but no one he knew could possibly understand what he was feeling right now. They all still had their family, none of their parents disowned them and told them not to bother coming back home. "I, uh, I think I'm just going to go out to the gardens for a while. Get some fresh air." Draco was up and walking out before Harry had a chance to try stopping him, but it hadn't stopped Harry from rushing after him through the kitchen. However, he was stopped by the door to the Gardens closing in his face, making him sigh in defeat.

Harry walked into the Dining room and sat in his chair, he had somewhat lost his appetite, but he knew he needed to eat.

Emma, and everyone else, had seen Harry's reaction, watching him pick at his food and eat it once in a while as Breakfast went on. He had no idea how to help Draco through this. And with Draco wishing to be alone for the time being Harry would leave this alone for the moment until later.

Emma gently elbowed Sirius and nodded to Harry, everyone wearing a concerned face.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Ginny asked him, she was sitting next to him after all and his inability to want to eat did call for concern, he was always hungry.

Harry didn't say a single thing as he got up and handed the papers and documents to Emma then sat back down telling Ginny, "It's not my place to say, I'm just kind of not really that hungry at the moment, but my appetite will come back in a bit. I'll be fine." He said with a weak smile to her, it didn't exactly help her not worry, but she let it alone for the time.

Molly, Sirius and Tonks watched Emma read the two letters, looking at the documents and read them with a look of shock and disappointment. Seeing enough, Emma handed the papers to Sirius, "I think this is your department dear. I have no idea how to talk to him regarding this."

Sirius and the others gave her a look of confusion, watched as Sirius took the letters and documents and watched his face fall. Rubbing his eyes as he sighed, "Yeah, I think you're right. Give me a moment, save some breakfast for Draco will you Love. I'll be back in a bit." Sirius said, wiping his mouth clean he kissed Emma's cheek and walked out into the Garden. Smiling softly when Draco sighed, slightly irritated, "I take it Harry said something then?"

"Uh, no actually he gave the letters you left in his hands to Emma, who then turned and gave them to me." Sirius informed him, putting his hands into his pockets and stood off to the side of the sulking blond, Sirius was most likely the only one that knew how he was feeling.

"Right, well, I guess you all we're going to find out sooner or later. But I doubt any of you will understand, no one can help me through this, I'm on my own really."

"That's not exactly true, Emma and I will be signing those Guardianship forms tonight with you, you'll always have a home with Emma, Harry and myself, Draco. You're not alone in this. Your mother loves you, Narcissa was never the kind to abandon her family, she never abandoned Bellatrix, no matter how crazy Bella is. And she never, not once, abandoned Emma. She certainly hasn't left your father. She loves him. But she loves you more. So, she'll never abandon you. Now, you actually got lucky on that part, my entire family, biological family that is, besides Andromeda, abandoned me. My mother burned me off the family tree tapestry in our home, a home I was given when my mother passed away only because my father wanted nothing to do with it, he even abandoned Kreatcher, our family house elf. We're actually going tomorrow to see the old Estate."

Confused, Draco's head piped up looking at Sirius like he had two heads, which just made Sirius laugh, "Wait, your entire family disowned you? Why?" He must have forgotten that. Draco knew his mother was cousins with Sirius Black, but he must have forgotten he was Disowned.

Sirius was used to it, he didn't go around parading that his family had disowned him because of 'blood traitor' reasons. With a shrug and a nod, he went ahead and answered the boy, "Yes, and it was a Potter that took me in. I was disowned because I refused to join their cause of the pure bloods and I continued doing things that would irritate and anger them, which was really being myself. But most of the time I just liked seeing if I could give my mother an aneurysm. It was quite funny really. I was a disappointment to them really. But the Potters never saw me as anything but a wonderful, fun loving kid that simply needed love. I just hated doing homework, really the only ones' that could really get me to do any form of homework was Emma or Remus. James and I always seemed to find trouble." His voice was soft, fatherly and gentle, and full of memories as he spoke of James. Taking a seat next Draco, both smiling and softly laughing.

"Well, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one that's gone through this really, I have someone else that can give me some idea how to handle this, even if the situations are a bit different. My mothers' doing this for my safety, yours did it because she was disappointed. But I don't see anything to be disappointed about." Draco sighed, rubbing his face, "I honestly didn't think this would hurt this much." He admitted, holding back his tears for as long as he could, but he couldn't anymore, someone knew how it felt to be alone.

Letting his tears fall Draco began to cry, he wanted to be able to relate to Harry on this, but their situations were very much different, Draco's abandoned him, one out of anger, hatred and disappointment and the other out of protection. Harry's parents had unfortunately been murdered, ripped from the poor boys' life before they had the chance to really live. Harry's and Draco's loneliness feelings were too different.

Sirius sighed, saddened that another child was going through this all over again, in truth, it was like he was watching himself break down, but Draco had what Sirius was a little envious of, a mother that was trying to protect her son. Placing a comforting hand onto Draco's back, Sirius remembered what James's father had done when he had told them what had happened with his family. Fleamont had simply sat with Sirius and gave the saddened teen a fatherly hug, and that was what Sirius did, he took example from Fleamont Potter and pulled the grieving boy into his arms and let him cry.

They had no idea how long that were out in the Gardens, Sirius just wanted Draco to get all of the emotions out of his system, giving him all the time, he needed. The boy had been through a lot, he'd been unsorted from Slytherin, somehow, then re-sorted into Gryffindor, which has never happened, that sorting would go down through history, Draco was now actually famous.

When Draco took a calming sigh, he pulled from the comforting embrace he'd never really even had from his own father and wiped his tears from his face, trying to recollect himself before going back inside to eat what was left of Breakfast, Harry was right, he needed to eat, it had been two days since he last ate and today was not going to be a third, especially if the entire house had any say. And Molly Weasley would be damned if she let a child go three days without food. He should be glad she had let him be for the two days that he hadn't, because in truth he had nearly made himself sick with grief when he read his parents letters.

"You ready to go inside to eat? I had Emma save you some Breakfast." At Draco's weak smiling nod Sirius patted the boy's arm and walked him inside finding Emma, Hermione, Molly and Ginny cleaning the kitchen and everything else in the kitchen while the rest cleaned up the Dining room, Tonks sweeping the floors with the broom around the tables in the Dining room and the kitchen.

Sirius and Draco smiled wider when Molly turned her cheerful smiled on them, "Ah, Draco, dear you're Breakfast is still on the Dining table." She said, continuing her cleaning as a knock came to the front door.

"I got it!" Ginny shouted and rushed to the door, opening it she was a bit confused, "Neville? Is everything okay?"

"Uh, Y-yeah. Um, my grams told me to come for a few weeks, said she didn't want me in the house while she's sick. Um, can uh, may I come in?" Neville was nervous, he hated showing up unexpected like he had, but his Grams had gotten sick suddenly and his aunt and uncle were taking her to St. Mungo's if she got worse in the next few days, "Yeah-Yes, definitely. Mum, Auntie Emma! Neville's here!" Ginny shouted into the house moving aside and letting the nervous boy inside and smiled sweetly at him as she closed the door. "They're in the Kitchen Neville, have you had Breakfast yet?"

"Uh, yeah, I ate before I left Gram's an hour or so ago. Thank you, Ginny." He smiled in thanks as they walked into the Kitchen. He smiled big and wide at Emma when she walked up to him and hugged him, "Hello Neville, is everything alright?"

"Um, Grams got sick a few nights ago, said to come here for a while until she got better. She doesn't want me catching it. I think she'll be fine really, but my Aunt and Uncle agreed with her about me not being there until she got through it. It's probably just the Flu really, but they said if she doesn't get any better that they'll be taking her to the Hospital in a few days."

"Well that is a bit concerning, I hope she'll be fine, we can write to her later tonight and check on her if you want. You know which room is your, go ahead and get settled in, we're going to go out back and help the others practice Quidditch." Emma saw his nervousness when she mentioned flying, "It's alright Neville, you don't have to fly if you don't want to. But if you want, I can help you learn to fly safely near the ground."

His smile was still nervous, but it held a bit of excitement, he would still be near the ground, he was still terrified of flying but he wanted to try to get over the fear of being on the broom, he may need to use it one day, "Really? Madam Hooch is a wonderful teacher, but my first lesson was a horrible experience."

"Oh, hey Neville." Draco walked out, empty plate in hand and walked past them to wash his dirty plate and cup, "Hey, oh, by the way, I heard you got put into Gryffindor. Congratulations, though I'm sorry you had to get resorted. I honestly have no idea what I'd do if I had to be resorted. But I'm glad you'll be around Harry and the others. You seemed happy with being around them when second year ended." Neville spoke to Draco nervously, he'd never actually spoke to Draco before, he had bullied the poor Longbottom boy their first year and after their second and third year ended the two still hadn't spoken.

Draco smiled kindly at Neville and nodded, "Yeah, I got lucky really. They just put up with me." Draco joked, Hermione laughed and wrapped an arm around Draco's neck with a big smile on her face, "I think we all got lucky. I for one, am excited to have you in Gryffindor. Now we don't have to worry about you not getting any sleep or Finn messing with you while in Slytherin Common room. This way we can stick together 100%."

Molly smiled big and bright as Ron and Harry walked over to Draco and Hermione, each swinging an arm around one another smiling and laughing, "Together then?" Harry laughed playfully, puffing up his chest with a grin making the group laugh.

Draco, seeing an opening to poke fun at him, poked Harry in his gut as Ron and Hermione began tickling him. This made everyone laugh and scream from the rough playful nature that was getting started in the Kitchen.

"Out of the kitchen if you guys are all going to do that," Molly and Emma laughed out in unison and all four teens began chasing each other out and playfully shoving one another, Draco patting Neville's arm as he walked by, "Come on Neville, let's get you settled in your room then we can all go hang out by the lake."

Neville smiled wide with happiness and excitement, "Really?"

"Yeah, come on. Why wouldn't we bring you along?" Ron laughed, "Hope you brought swimming trunks Neville. Draco likes to try tossing people into the lake." He said joking, the five walking up the staircase towards the rooms, "Uh, Y-yeah, I have swimming trunks."

Fred and George snickered and grinned as they stood next to their mother, "Poor Neville, has no idea how much Draco and Harry are going to toss him into that water."

"That's you two and Draco, don't you remember last week. Ginny and Hermione nearly ended up waterlogged because of you two." Molly gently scolded her twins but her fun loving and joking nature ended quickly when she watched Emma put a hand over her mouth looking green, "Dear heavens, Emma, are you alright?" But Emma gave no answer. Molly followed after her a short distance trying to see if she was alright but stopped at the first step and shouted up after the redhead, "Emma! George follow her, make sure she's alright. Sirius- Oh bother, where did that man go now. Fred, Ginny help me find him."

Emma rushed up the stairs, past the five teens that just got into Neville's room, each one of them laughing and playfully shoving one another, trying to get Neville lightly accustomed to their playful nature, but they too soon followed after Emma as she rushed into a bathroom across the hall from Neville's room and began emptying her stomach of morning breakfast.

They watched with worry, moving from the room to try to see if she was alright as George push past them, knelt beside her and pulled her hair from her face, "You alright?" he asked.

Emma took a few panting breaths, attempting to answer, she had gone right back to vomiting. George had to look away, he didn't want to give sympathy heaves, "Hermione, do you have a hair tie?"

The girl was brought from her daze when George spoke to her letting her shake herself awake, "Uh, y-yeah… Here." She said pulling her tie from her hair and handed it to the twin, "Is she alright?"

"Don't know, she was before she ran up here." He answered with a shrug, pulling his aunts long, thick curling hair into a disaster of a bun and began to gently rub her back. "She just random got green and ran up here-"

" _She_ is right he-" Emma had tried to be sarcastically snide to the group for talking about her right there while she was getting sick, but her vomiting was getting in the way. This only gave in to George somewhat giggling at her attempts, "Well, now what could have caused this random turn of events, Foxy?" Sirius asked, a wide grin on his face, moving between the group that Molly was ushering away to lean against the door, "It's too early for that Sirius, you know that, last time we were with each other was-"

"Yes, I know, a few nights ago. However, we haven't left one another's comforters since we've been reunited in the cabin a few months ago."

"You seriously think I could have been pregnant from that moment? Really Sirius Black." She panted, George took this moment to opt out while he still could, wished Sirius luck and laughed as he left to join the others.

Sirius too was laughing as he walked into the bathroom, this happened to also be the same bathroom Lily had gotten sick in before Harry was born, he couldn't stop laughing at how ironic this moment was, "Actually yes. We'll get you a Doctor's appointment just in case though, you got pregnant easily the last time, why not the second time around? Though, I wish you would have told me instead of me finding out in Dumbledore's office upon Peter's arrest." he asked sitting next to her and taking over for George's absent to rub her back in comfort.

"It was too early to tell last time too, unfortunately we happened to be right that time, I wasn't getting sick last time- oh God-" Emma quickly re-positioned herself to lean over the pot and continued getting sick. Truthfully, he was hoping she was, otherwise he'd have something to worry about, "Poppy said she was on her way." Molly informed them, this news shocked the two in the bathroom, but since Sirius was the only one that could speak at the moment, he chose to speak for them both, "That fast?"

"I've kind of had her on call the past month involving Emma's health. When she was asleep after Pettigrew was arrested, Poppy found something strange reacting with her body, we weren't sure, so we had to wait until she showed any signs. We didn't want to say something and get your hopes up at all. Especially after the last time."

Emma moaned with disgust, trying to stay calm from the action of vomiting, she hated getting sick, but so did everyone that she knew of. "If I am- one moment," She moaned with a sick feeling yet again, she was going to say if she was pregnant then she was probably farther along than she thought. She had thought a few days ago she may have gained weight, but even if she was three months along she shouldn't feel as tight in her clothes as she was feeling, her bra's didn't even fit comfortably anymore, but the puking was getting in the way and she was becoming very annoyed, "Easy, Love. There you go, just let it out…"

"Now I think I know why Lily hated James for a while when she was pregnant. But I have to agree now, you and Molly may be right, though I have to be more than just a few months along if I'm feeling tight in my clothes and puking this much already… Right? I mean, Lily got sick more often when she was about… What was it, four months? I'm not exactly showing though." Emma groaned as she leaned back into Sirius's arms, resting as comfortably as she could.

Molly smiled happily with a shrug, "You're naturally small dear, but morning sickness happens when it wants to, maybe you have twins. I know I did the same with Fred and George." She offered up her personal experience with her children and nearly laughed when Emma groaned a bit more and went back to getting sick, "This is going to be interesting. I'll leave you two be then, Poppy should be arriving sometime soon to check on her."

Sirius couldn't help but silently laugh while Emma got sick and complained, he knew she hated being sick, especially when it involved emptying her stomach, it was kind of funny to him. But as the minutes turned into an hour, he and the others waited downstairs for Poppy to finish checking Emma, his heart jumped to his throat when the two walked in all smiles and Emma blushing, "You are, aren't you?" He asked standing from the counters tall chair and wrapped her in his arms as she giggled and nodded, but it was her saying it that made him nearly cry, "Yes, I am."

Poppy smiled wide, walking next to Molly, who looked as though she were about to cry with joy, she had in fact almost let the tears roll when Poppy spoke again, verifying what she had said earlier, "With twins, congratulations you two. Now, I have other patience currently waiting at the hospital, Emma I'll have appointments set up for you by next week and I will send you a list with the dates and time over the next nine to ten months. However, I will be suggesting you not return to work at Hogwarts as part of Security, I'll inform Minerva and Dumbledore and see what they'd like to do for you. I know you could never stay off your feet for long. There's only so much cleaning you can do to the homes you and Sirius have. By the way, thank you so much for letting me and my husband use the cabin for the summer, it's very beautiful." Poppy said praising the young woman, "How's the clothesline coming along by the way?" she asked with excitement.

Emma and Sirius laughed, she had definitely spoken a mouth full, but her excitement was very enjoyable with the wonderful news they were officially able to verify to others, "You're very welcome Poppy, I am glad you both like it and the Clothing line is coming along great. I'm still trying to get Molly to let my agent sell her creations also, but she keeps saying no so I won't push it. But that just means more for the kids and me, because I love the sweaters and scarves, I love everything. It's all so warm and nature like. I like looking and feeling cheerful." She said all bubbly.

"Well, I'm glad it's all coming into place. But I must be off, take care sweetheart, say hello to the children for me." with that, Poppy was gone, Disapparating off and leaving everyone happy and bouncing all day, exhausting them when it was time for bed.

Emma and Sirius had curled up in one another's arms that night, laughing about how the kids had reacted, "I'm surprised George didn't say anything to them when he left." Emma giggled.

He smiled, almost laughing with her, his fingers lightly tracing his fingertips over her cheek bone and curling his hand through her hair, finally holding her face in hand. "Agreed, but he may not have because if it turned out that you were sick then it would have been a really bad twist. I'm just happy we finally get the chance to finish our journey that we started twelve years ago." Sirius was mesmerized, they were one another's safe haven. He was shocked and grateful she was not only beautiful but could hold her own and fight for what she believed in, but her stubbornness was what worried him.

* * *

The month moved on, Hermione went home for a few weeks to spend time with her parents, Molly had decided to take the kids back to the Burrow for the week before the World Cup to give Emma and Sirius time to themselves.

Emma had been two months pregnant when they officially found out. None of them knew the World Cup was a target set for the Death Eaters. Worst of all Athella and Horus had gone with them.

During the current summer, Mellena had made permanent residence at the home on Hogwarts grounds when Severus panicked and made them liquidate the home outside of the school's compound then proceeded to rent a one room apartment near Diagon Alley. Mellena had definitely not been happy with that arrangement.

When they kids arrived at the World Cup, Horus had stuck close to Draco and Harry while Athella held ahold of Fred's hand as she skipped alongside both twins. They were all having fun, dancing around singing and making fun of Ron for his comment about Viktor Krum. Fred was laughing and trying to sign along with his twin but couldn't help laughing as Athella danced around with him and George. Their fun soon ended and had panicked when the campers were attacked by the Followers of the Dark Lord.

Ginny accidently ran into Fred and George, Athella tightly gripping her hand then clung to the young Weasley sister when their eyes fell upon the cloaked people parading around with a skeleton face masks, chanting words they couldn't exactly understand, "Get back to the port key everyone! Fred, George, Ginny and Athella are in your care. Ron! You four have Horus, now stick together everybody!" he said looking at all four fourth years.

Everyone had run for it, leaving their things behind, caring only for their lives and worrying for the rest as they split up.

The twins held onto Ginny and a stumbling ten-year-old Athella who was worried because she couldn't see Horus. Fred handed Ginny off the George and lifted Athella into his arm and continued running, meeting everyone back at the portkey, the only problem was, Harry was missing.

They had thankfully found him, but the four friends had nearly been _Stupified_ by the Ministry Aurors and Barty Crouch, who weren't about accusing the four kids of conjuring the Dark Mark, "There just kids Barty! They don't even know how to conjure that curse."

Emma and Sirius were very unhappy when they heard the news and Flooed to the Burrow to check on everyone, "Molly, oh thank Heavens, what happened? Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, everyone is alright Emma. Now, sit down. I made some tea for everyone, how's that sound?"

"Yeah, yes please. Tea sounds nice, Thank you Molly." Emma panted in panic. Arthur had pulled a chair out for young woman quickly and allowed Sirius to guide her to sit down to relax, three months pregnant in August and she was already having high blood pressure. They really didn't want to risk this time around with what happened last time. Though, they knew it had helped when the kids came in all laughing and joking around and hugging her and Sirius tightly and tell them they were all alright, "I'm taking Ella and Horus back to their mum in a bit, she may be having a panic attack soon really. News travels fast even without the Daily Prophet." Fred joked sincerely.

He was right though.


	24. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 24 **

* * *

**September 1994**

"This is outrageous! How could they not know who conjured that thing! Wasn't there any form of Security." Hermione bellowed in irritation as she read the Daily Prophet.

Draco and Ron were trying not to laugh at her, "Loads, according to dad. But they have no idea how they even got in," Ron informed the irritated Witch, that still hadn't calmed herself down, Draco was about to make her irritation worse, "Sirius and Remus were talking with Arthur a few nights ago, they think they got in **before** the World Cup started. When they were getting things ready." It was a bit funny to watch Hermione huff and puff over something that was out of their control, but it was entertaining, nonetheless.

"So, wait a moment. They think those people were originally guests there for the game?" Hermione asked, her concern and anger rising as they continued the conversation. It hadn't passed anyone's notice that things seemed to be getting worse as the years went on. Ever since their first year at the school, when Voldemort was mentioned, and things began to be set in motion to give aid to the dark Wizard in the hopes of his followers that he'd be returned to his body and power restored.

Though, their attention was happily redirected at Harry when he had suddenly rubbed his forehead, right over the scar, he had been quiet for some of the ride and it hadn't escaped anyone's notice, he was never this silent. Hermione had beaten the boys to him before they even had a chance to open their mouth, "It's hurting again, isn't it?"

Harry was caught, he knew she was smart, but he didn't think she'd see that little action, "I'm fine, just a headache." However, he knew she wouldn't believe it, none of them did, and Draco only proved that when he raised a brow with a grinned look of _'Really?"_

Ron snickered at them all, he had his short entertainment for now when Hermione called Harry out once again, "You know Sirius and Emma will want to hear about this. The Dark Mark and the dreams."

Hoping he could talk his way out of it Harry shrugged with a playful laugh, a laugh that they did not buy at all, "I'm fine, really Hermione-"

Draco hopped up from his seat and bounces his butt off the cushions next to his dazing friend with a deep grin, "There's no arguing, come on. Get writing, Hermione's right. They'll will want to know, especially since you've been tossing and turning because of those crazy dreams all summer and not saying a word. They're going to find out sooner or later, sorry."

With a defeated sigh, Harry unpacked the needed things to write his letter to Emma and Sirius then sent it off with Hedwig.

"Feel better?" Hermione asked with a grin, her eyes never leaving the book she was currently reading after having enough of the Daily Prophet. Harry and the others giggled with one another after a few intense seconds of silence.

* * *

Their arrival to Hogwarts was a very welcoming environment that everyone always enjoyed. Though, it did not go unnoticed that two or three things were out of order that the returning students noticed seconds after they sat in their seats.

Professor Blue was sitting off away from Professor Snape between Hagrid, both Professors looking upset and highly irritated while Hagrid sat between them looking rather uncomfortable with the change in seats, but a different person had definitely caught the student's attention. Sirius Black was sitting on the other side of Professor Blue with Emma nowhere in sight. That change of events had sent the Weasley kids, Draco, Harry and Hermione into a bit of a worrying state, "Where's Auntie?" Ginny asked in full concern. Standing, she looked around the Great Hall finding their dear Aunt nowhere in sight.

Their questions were soon answered by Dumbledore after he walked to his podium and began his usual speech for the new students, "Sirius Black, has been acquitted of all charges, he was indeed innocent of what he had been accused of, the real killer, all those terribly years ago, has been found guilty. So, fear not. There is no danger here, Mr. Black is here temporarily until Professor Fox is feeling well to travel in her… Um, her delicate, condition. Also, this year is a rather special year for us here at Hogwarts. This year, Hogwarts will be host to two different schools who have been chosen, along with Hogwarts, to participate in a Tournament. The winner of this Tournament shall be winner of the Triwizard Cup, and much more. These two schools will be joining us here at Hogwarts in October where three champions will be chosen to compete in this tournament. One student from each school shall represent their school as they go through the challenges. Now, enough talk, I believe you are all hungry so, shall we eat?" Dumbledore said with a smile and food began appearing in rows on the tables, allowing everyone to dig into the glorious tasting meals.

"She's pregnant, not delicate," Ginny and Hermione both grumbled to themselves in unison, the two girls couldn't help but giggle at having said it together and very unexpectedly had made them and the few around them laugh a little.

A soft, feminine voice spoke up suddenly when she'd overheard the two girls, "Professor Fox is pregnant?" she asked in excitement, her long and tight curling hair was pulled over her left shoulder in a side braid fishtail finished off by a pink, flowery, headband. Her heart shaped face was clear and lightly dusted with powder and blush as she looked at the large group of Gryffindor classmates.

"Yeah, twins actually," Fred said with pride, twins seemed to just be the biological thing going on these last few years. First him and George, second was the Petal twins, then Athella and Horus now Emma was having twins. He and George were very excited.

"Really, that's great, she'll be an excellent mum." The girl said, her eyes bouncing around everyone, she had the happy mood of a five-year-old.

_'Maybe she's just excited about being back at School?'_ Ginny thought as she and Hermione studied the girl. She was looking at all of them, her blush continued to appear on her face, but Ginny's mother and herself always did that when they were in a very happy mood.

"I'm-I'm so sorry, I can't believe I'm actually asking this, but who are you? I thought I knew everyone in Gryffindor." Hermione asked, she did in fact feel horrible for not recognizing the girl.

The girl smiled but she was cheery and bouncy, full of joy and happiness, she was not offended at all when Hermione asked for her name, "Lavender, Lavender Brown. And it's alright, I usually stay to myself." and that started a conversation between the three girls, chatting away happily as they ate.

Unfortunately, their fun moments of being back at school was not to last since everyone was looking at Draco rather strangely as the night went on, they weren't used to him being anywhere but the Slytherin table and in Slytherin green robes. He was now at the Gryffindor table and in the Lion's colors of Ruby red and gold.

The Slytherin's were the ones that were most vocal about it, in the form of the one and only, Finn Malfoy, "So, wait, you got resorted? That's impossible… Draco… Hey, Draco…" Finn growled at being ignored and threw a balled-up piece of paper at the back of his cousin's head, drawing Draco's attention with an angry glare, "What's it to you, Finn. It's none of your business what happened. It happened and it's over with, you have no reason to continue harassing me. Now bugger of, you crazy nut."

"Aw, is Dracie upset because Mummy and Daddy don't want you anymore?"

Ron and Harry looked up from their plates at one another instantly, Hermione's eyes lit with shock and rage as she watched, but the boys quickly grabbed a hold of Draco before he turned to punch the kid, again.

Harry held his left, Seamus held his right and Ron had nearly jumped over the table and grabbed a hold of Draco's shirt and robes, "Easy man, easy, he isn't worth it," Ron said, his eyes wide with fear, he wasn't worried about Draco one bit, he was scared because Finn just signed his death warrant.

Seamus patted Draco's back, trying to help the guys calm him down, "Yeah man, he ain't worth it." Unfortunately, and understandably, it wasn't working. Harry and the others 100% understood why, they'd have reacted the very same way, especially since that wasn't what was happening with the Malfoy family at all.

Harry and Ron were nearly petrified with worry, Draco was not calming down at all, "Hermione, get over here, now, hurry." Harry's voice was barely above a painful whisper, he was glad when she dashed under the table and slipped between Harry and Draco, "Hey, Draco. Look at me… Draco, look at me." She found it somewhat annoying and fearful that he wouldn't, it was like he couldn't respond to her, "Fine, look at Ginny, Ron let him go, it's okay."

Doing as he was told Ron slowly let Draco's robes go and watched Ginny slide into Hermione's previous seat, leaned forward and gently took his hand. She and the rest were shocked when he took a deep breath to help calm his anger and took a hold of Ginny's offered hand around his and squeezed a few times. He knew the pressure would be enough to a simmer his rage down just a degree, he wanted to put a vice like grip, but he knew if he did that, he'd not only hurt her, he could break her entire hand. And that was the last thing he wanted to do, "Really Draco, you need girls to help calm you down, what a flower, b- AH! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS THIS! YOU STUPID INBRED!" No one was expecting Lavender Brown to get red in the face with anger and toss her plate at him, covering Finn Malfoy in every bit of food she had put on it, just to throw it at the bullying Slytherin and voice a few choice words herself, "Back off! You egotistical wanker!" Lavender screeched, now this definitely made Draco feel better when he turned and saw a massacre of food slipping down Finn's face and messing into his hair with noodles, creamy sauce, maybe some uneaten meat and definitely a lot of warm chocolate volcano cake.

Finn always seemed to find himself on the wrong end of someone's wrath and ended up getting humiliated every time he tried going at it with one of the golden four. It seemed no one was that intimidated by him. This knowledge only seemed to piss him off more than he had been in the year he'd attended Hogwarts and the summer he had moved into Malfoy Manor and beat the life half out of Draco. " ** _If you aren't scared or intimidated then maybe I'm not trying hard enough, but I think I'll start with that puff-haired flower wearing bitch!"_**

His mind was getting darker as he grew, none of his tricks worked with those four, and they definitely didn't work against the Weasley twins, the last time he tried that he got his prank turned back on him, but he also got a bag of sweet sick treats stuck in his candy bag and a none burning firecrackers put under his sheets in his dorm room. All because his prank the day before had gotten Ginny which sent the girl to the hospital wing when his prank exploded in her face knocking her out. ** _“It was just a stupid knock out potion in the first place, it didn't even hurt the brat!"_**

"So, wait, if we're having the Tournament here through the school year, does that mean we aren't have Quidditch tryouts this year at all?" Ginny asked suddenly when the thought occurred to her. She had directed the question at Harry. He shrugged, not really didn't know the answer himself and he too were curious. If that was the case for this year, he and Draco were going to be disappointed, they had been trying to convince Ron to try out for Quidditch the entire summer, if they were going to have the chance to play this year. Draco's first year as a Gryffindor, Harry had no idea what he was going to do but it was something else that grabbed his attention, no one was introduced as the new Defense against the Dark Arts, "Hey, is it just me or did Dumbledore not say who was the new Defense against the Dark Arts." Harry asked, eyeing the table. "Maybe Sirius is doing it?" Draco suggested with a shrug, but he too was confused, because Dumbledore had in fact not introduced anyone as their new teacher.

"This should be interesting." Ron said with a shrug and continued eating, though, everyone's fun nature and laughing moments weren't going to last past that moment when the Magically tricked ceiling began lighting and thundering, shaking the room and frightening the new students causing them to shriek in fear and slid under the tables. The returning students simply gasped with shock and ducked their heads, no one left that hall unshaken from the sudden change in the ceiling. No one saw who cast a spell up into the ceiling, calming it instantly and returning it back to the star covered roof over their heads.

Their attention was drawn to an older, greying man his fake eye scanning the Hall and a bad limp using a large walking stick. He was soaked from the rain. He'd obviously walked a long way in the heavy weather, and he was a very cranky looking man. Everyone watched in shock as Dumbledore walked up to the man, shook his hand and patted his arm in welcome, they had no idea what was being said as Dumbledore showed him to a chair at the teachers table then walked back to the podium with a wide and happy smile, "Alastor Moody has joined us here for this school year to take over the position as the Defense against the Dark Arts." Then walked back to his chair and began conversing with the still dripping wet man, "Thank you for coming on such a short notice Alastor."

"Stupid ceiling never liked that blasted thing." Alastor grumbled digging into his food that he'd piled onto his plate, Dumbledore continued to watch the retired Auror like he hadn't eaten in days and became concerned when he began taking large swigs from his flask.

Seeing his concern and accusing look, Alastor looked at his flask and shrugged like it was nothing, "Pumpkin Juice. So, why did you need me here at such a short timing Dumbledore?"

"I fear for my student, and with the Tournament on its way in October and November I can't help but worry more, that time is such an opportunity for something to go wrong. I need eyes, your skills and an Auror my friend. Harry and Emma will need extra caution while here this year-"

"Yes, she's pregnant, her nephews and Sirius are most likely beside themselves with over protectiveness, she's likely to be more protective now of her family than ever before. But for now, Harry is our first concern until Emma gets here."

"Agreed, for now, all we can do is wait and keep our eyes and ears open for any signs of the Darkness."

Whispers erupted through the tables yet again, this time all directed at Alastor Moody, "Alastor Moody is here? Isn't he supposed to be retired?" Ron asked Draco and the twins, all three just gave a shrug of confusion, they'd only heard of him, barely any of them had met the man. All they knew was that he was the reason most of the cells in Azkaban were full.

Hermione was struck in shock and looked to the boys with confusion, like everyone else wondered why he was there at the school for the Teaching Position of the Dark Arts, "The Auror?"

"Yeah, but he's supposed to be retired, haven't a clue as to why he'd come here for a teaching position, the man's loony. Paranoid as ever," Draco said staring at the man who was talking with Dumbledore, "Yeah, supposedly he didn't retire, he was forced to leave because he was so paranoid."

"Yeah, but how is he retired if he's Tonks's Auror instructor." Ginny asked, her confusion was making her head hurt, "Tonks qualified for Auror statues just a few weeks ago Ginny, he's no longer her instructor," Hermione said reminding the young Weasley.

"Yeah, but he was said to have retired a few years ago?" Ron said, his 'statement' was more like a question, because he really didn't know.

* * *

Classes began the next day, and everyone was curious how Dark Arts class was going to go. And it didn't go so well either. Mad-Eye had stormed into class shouting for it to be silent, vigorously wrote his name on the board and clearly stated, "I am here because Dumbledore asked me too, end of story," then began class, leaving everyone shaking in their seats, even Hermione was afraid of him, and that girl could have a backbone.

* * *

September ended and Emma still had not arrived at the school, "Sirius, should we be worried?" Harry had asked his Godfather with concern, he could clearly see the worry on him as well, they were all worried. Especially when Molly sent word that she and Andromeda had moved Emma to the Cabin from the Potter Estate and locked it down. They had no idea what had happened to make them move Emma, but it had to of been something that spooked them. Now, the only person that could get into the Estate was Dumbledore himself. Everyone, even Emma would be refused access unless they had Dumbledore with them.

Draco was beginning to get frightened. Finn's expressions and demeanor had changed drastically, his harmless pranks had escalated when he set a trap for half of the Weasleys. George had been sent to the hospital, taking the trick in place of Ginny when he'd spotted it seconds before it went off and now had his left arm in a sling and a cut along his arm that would likely scar. No one really knew who had set the thing up or placed it, Peeves was definitely not saying simply because he thought it was ridiculously funny and had received a bump on the head from the Bloody Baron. But they all knew who it was, Finn Malfoy, unfortunately they had no proof to accuse the prat.

It was two weeks before Halloween when Emma showed up in a carriage of flying horses and a very tall woman in a fur coat with short hair cut in a bob style. She stepped out and helped by Dumbledore, both smiling wide and kissed each other's cheeks in welcome.

"Welcome, Madam Maxim, how wonderful of you to join us." Dumbledore said with an excited smile to the tall woman.

"Ah, Dumbly-dorr, what a pleasure to be 'ere. I 'Ope I find you well?" The Madam asked, a pleased smile as they spoke, "In excellent form, thank you Madam, please, won't you and your lovely students join us for supper Dear Lady?"

With a wide, happy smile she spoke, "Of course, my pupils," Madam Maxim began, turned to the carriage and several young ladies walked out, dressed in beautiful silk blues. Backs straight, their bodies and feet moving like they were professional dancers and all smiling wide as they looked at the stone castle, "ah, yes. My dear friend. I believe we picked up a friend of yours on our way 'ere, a pregnant woman. She zaid she 'ad Dissaparated and was forced out by ze pain in 'er poor belly. Of course, we took ze dear girl in and brought 'er with us. Do you know 'er?" She informed him, he could tell she was a bit worried that she had helped someone that may have lied, but Dumbledore took the moment to comfort her concerns, though he couldn't help the smile and trying to not laugh was a bit difficult, but he succeeded none the less, "Ah, yes. That would be our precious Emma Evans. She must have made a run from her two friends at the cabin. We thank you so very much for aiding her. Her husband, I'm sure, will be ever so grateful to you and your dear girls. Now, shall we eat?"

"Yes, of course. 'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Maxime asked with curiosity. However, she didn't sound so excited about the man being there.

"I'm afraid not Madam Maxim, but I'm sure he shall be along shortly, ah, Emma dear. How lovely of you to join us. How's Molly and Andromeda?" He asked teasingly to the blushing pregnant redhead when confronted.

"Uh, they aren't too happy with my disappearing act, but I was tired of just sitting around being bored and miserable. So, I uh-"

"Aunt Emma!" Ginny shouted rushing up to the group, a happy and a big smile on her face trying to gently collide with her smiling aunt and carefully of her swollen abdomen, "Ginny, how is the new year treating you and the others?"

"It's going great. Draco is much happier. Harry and the others are worried we won't have Quidditch this year."

"Nonsense, I'm sure we will. Unless the activities Hogwarts are sponsoring cannot do both then maybe we won't this year, unfortunately. I'll check for you all to verify. Now, go to the Great hall, I'll join you all shortly."

"You are very good wit' children my dear girl." Madam Maxime said with a happy smile, "You shall sit by me tonight, yes?"

Emma smiled and blushed at the Lady's request, she was so happy they had found her when they were passing over, otherwise she'd have been stranded for a while. Apparently, you weren't supposed to disapparate while you were pregnant. Emma was glad Madam Maxim had informed her of that because she really did not know that. "Of course, Madam. I'd be delighted too."

They were off to the dining hall, Emma, Dumbledore and Madam Maxim all conversing and laughing as they entered the Great Hall for dinner to start, now all they had to do was wait for Karkaroff and his students to arrive.


	25. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 25 **

* * *

Everyone sat, chatting with excitement.

The ladies of Beauxbaton Academy were introduced by Dumbledore gladly, with natural graceful glides they strolled into the Great Hall giving Hogwarts students and staff currently present with their small entry, mesmerizing everyone, even Sirius, was having trouble looking away, like he was entranced, but his breath was taken from him when Madam Maxime walked in and his eyes landed on who was walking beside her.

A small woman, with long waving dark red hair, glowing more than he'd last seen her, her stomach had grown, he'd forgotten she'd be about 5 months to 5 ½ months pregnant, "Emma? What is she doing here? Molly said she was still not ready to come."

Severus snorted with a annoyed eye roll, "You really thought your wife would stay away from you and her nephews and niece, Black? How idiotic." Snape grumbled from down the table. This caused Sirius to glare and hold back a growl to the hook-nosed man, he'd never understood why Gabby fell in love with him, but he made her happy, and that was all that mattered, but from what he was currently seeing, Gabby wanted nothing to do with the man. Which made him wonder what happened, and if Gabby, or Mellena, was mad at Severus Snape enough to not desire to be near him over the last month they'd been at the school, which meant it was bad. For that Sirius finally felt terrible for the man.

Madam Maxime held her shoulder's back as she walked tall, even though she was already tall, spine straight and walking with a happy smile to be at Hogwarts.

Draco and Harry both looked at one another in shock when their Aunt walked in, they waved a bit lazily at her only because they were astonished she was there, "When did she get here?" Draco asked, watching the pregnant redhead walk in with excitement. Harry just shrugged, equally amazed. Except Ron, who happened to be petrified, "She's supposed to be with Mum and Andromeda… They're going to be livid once they find out she's here…"

"No kidding, but you know how Auntie is, if she wants out of the house, she'll get out." Fred cut in, but he was still eyeing the Beauxbaton girls when they all took their sets with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

"She got here just before supper," Ginny clarified, a victorious grin on her face. She finally had something none of them had. She had seen Emma for the first time since they got to Hogwarts and she had hugged her and her swollen belly and the best part, Ginny had felt a gentle kick from the babies in Emma's belly against her rib cage, the action had made Ginny smile wide with anticipation for the new family members to get there but also for her own time as a mother in her future.

"Wait, how'd she even get here?" Harry asked abruptly, and Ginny gladly gave an answer she had overheard, "Madam Maxim told Dumbledore they picked up a pregnant woman that was forced to Apparate in the middle of the forest they were flying over, the horses must have seen her and got spooked, I don't know how they saw her, but they picked her up and she told them she Disapparated from the cabin and was forced out of it because she felt pain in her stomach with the babies and feared she may have caused them harm. Supposedly the babies are fine though she didn't look worried."

But everyone else was in terror, besides Harry, Hermione and Lavender who was overhearing the conversation, "She's pregnant, she's not supposed to even be Disapparating in the first place!" George and Fred both stuttered out in fear, their eyes now on their dear aunt who was in the arms of a smiling Sirius kissing her all over her face and Madam Maxim adoring the two with smiles.

At hearing that, Draco felt his stomach sink when a thought came to him, "They won't fine her, will they?"

Seamus shook his head, "Probably not, they just made the new rule of Pregnant women unable to disapparate. Likely they sent the new rules and information out but if she hasn't been home in a while then she likely did not get to read the new regulations. That's what my mother told me before we came to school, she had to contact the Department of rules and regulations of Disapparation and Apparation just to clarify. Guess they said if a woman becomes pregnant that they are to report their condition to them, so they can put their license on hold until further notice." he clarified on what his mother happened to overhear of new laws on Disapparation and Apparation just a few months ago and this news left everyone else in a state of confusion.

"But, if they do that, they'll have to retake the test with being out of practice for almost ten months." Ron said, stating his concern, he was by far confused, but was quickly resolved, "Yes, they will, but I guess it depends on how long their license is held." Seamus said with a proud nod, he finally knew something they didn't, something Hermione didn't know.

When their attention turned back to Emma, they found most of their concerns washed away. Emma was once again in the arms of Sirius Black. Both looking rather excited and ever so happy with Sirius kissing her all over her face which was making her giggle.

Madam Maxime stood close by with a wide and happy smile as she watched the reunited couple and started a conversation with the two love birds, though no one besides a few staff members could hear their short conversation, "Zirius Black? My dear Emma. You never zaid you were with zuch a man. Is it true ze Ministry did not much care to use truth zerum on you nor to move through your memories?" She was simply asking out of curiosity. Olympe Maxime finally had the chance to get the story firsthand and she'd love nothing more than to get the truth, for she loved having the truth spoken to her. Lies were for cowards and snakes that attempted to deceive you.

Sirius and Emma merely laughed to themselves, it wasn't the first time he'd been confronted, in this case asked, about his innocence he'd spent twelve years screaming to the roofs about, "Yes, they wanted a murder and I suppose I was the logical reason. In truth had I been in their position with no explanation to other leads I'd have thought I did it too. But, since I experienced the situation, I know I am innocent, and now everyone else knows too. Even if it took them twelve years to figure it out. The truth is out there, and I am free. And still very blessed." All the while as he spoke his eyes never left Emma, a hand of his never left Emma's swelling belly. He continued to grin happily at the knowledge that he was finally feeling the babies kick against his hand. He meant every word. He was still, truly blessed and he knew he was lucky to have had Emma on his side the entire time even when they were all robbed of a life they should have all had, "I'm so glad I'll never have to know a life without you Fox." Honestly, Sirius had forgotten they had eyewitnesses when he'd spoken to her, he was so used to them being alone he never thought to realize he was being cutely romantic in front of everyone in the Great Hall, and this time, everyone had silenced themselves and others just to hear what they were saying.

Everyone had heard him, Minerva, Poppy and Professor Sprout were nearly in tears, Mellena had covered her mouth to keep her lips from others view while they quivered and her blue eyes watered. Students were looking in awe or wonder why every female was nearly in tears or saying they were " _absolutely adorable,"_ or " _How perfect they are together"_ and _"How wonderful it was to have such a romantic man,"_

Emma giggled and kissed him, arms tight around him, "And I'll never let go. No matter how far away we are. Now, I am hungry. Let's eat." She loved how sweet he was being, he always was, but she really was hungry.

Sirius and Madam Maxime had laughed along with Emma, she was eating for three so they couldn't blame her, the fact she was in such a good mood after such a fly was astonishing, "Well, I must thank our Dear Madam for bringing my wife to me after being away for nearly two months, I owe you a great debt Madam Maxime. Thank you."

Olympe smiled wide with a grateful nod to them both, but she still wished Emma would take a seat by her for at least tonight's dinner, " **Douce Emma, s'il te plait asseyez-vous avec moi?** " She was good with English, but sometimes she slipped without her notice. Her excitement of being at Hogwarts with the Triwizard Tournament coming up soon then having found a friend along her trip to Hogwarts was all so exciting for her. She had begun to correct herself in English unsure if either of them knew French but was even more excited when Emma responded like a natural, " **Ce serait un plaisir pour, Madame Maxime**."

In truth Sirius was shocked, but he had to remember she had twelve years to perfect it, her clothing line was, after all, in Paris. He had a feeling that had she not even tried learning French that her line may not have survived long if they all looked at her like an outcast, because in truth that happened everywhere.

Dinner had moved forward without hassle, Emma and Maxime chatted away with one another after Mellena had rushed up to her dear friend she hadn't seen in months and hugged her.

"We need to speak later, when we get the chance too. Soon though, please?" she whispered into Emma’s ear.

Her friends' dire words continued to echo through Emma's mind. This worried Emma to a very deep extent, if Mellena was worried as much as she sounded then something must have happened over the summer, she hadn't gotten to see Mellena or the rest of the family. Severus was even acting a bit strange, that too worried her deeply. But her concerns were quickly replaced when Filch rushed in, hand over his heart and a look of fear and obviously upset.

Dumbledore had moved from his chair and met Filch near the Podium, no one was able to hear a thing they spoke so softly but Filch had simply nodded to the Professor and went jogging back down the Hall and out the doors, "It seems our second guest has arrived a while before I had thought. Please, allow me to introduce the Sons of Drumstrang and their Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff."

The name had sent Emma's heart to her stomach making her pale, poor Maxime began to silently fret over her thinking Emma was going to faint or be sick, this brought Sirius and Snape out of their stupor and rushing over to the two ladies' sides in worry, "Whatever is ze matter, Emma?" Maxime asked, fanning the young woman. She seemed to be having trouble breathing outward but was taking in air without a problem, like a terrible hyperventilation seizure. This realization frightened the French woman terribly, "What is it Love…Emma, talk to me…"

"I-Igor is here? Bu-but I thought - Dear lord I think I'm going to be sick. Why is he here?" She asked, honestly they all thought she was bound to be sick in no moments when the Drumstrang students burst through the doors and they too, gave a short performance, slapping their show-walking sticks against the hard floors causing sparks to flair out, the students marched in, the first few dissolving their walking sticks into thin air and began performing flips and a few other acrobatic moves, leaving many girls in shock and awe, boys grumbling about lost causes this year with the ladies. The staff, minus Emma were stunned in wonder and adoration when it ended, a fire Phoenix was graced to Dumbledore when a boy blew against a sparkler sending the flame out and around him in front of the Head of Hogwarts.

Everyone clapped at their performance, watched Dumbledore embrace Igor with a welcoming hug, "Igor, welcome my friend," This welcoming only seemed to upset Emma's stomach more.

_'Does Dumbledore not know he is a Death Eater!'_

It was Snape that seemed to finally catch on and quickly whispered to Sirius, informing him of why she was reacting so. But their attempts to remove Emma from the Staffs table was in vein, Igor had seen her and grinned wide to her and Sirius, though he said nothing, only giving a nod of acknowledgement. Though it was his favorite student that had seen her ill-natured state and questioned it, "Is she alright?"

Poppy smiled with a grateful nod to the young man's concern and took over from the three who were trying to calm the frantic woman, "Uh, yes. Merely feeling a bit ill from the babies. Emma, dear, come along." Poppy quickly acted in, moving from her chair and excused herself and Emma, "She's in good hands Sirius, please, sit and finish dinner." Minerva said attempting to comfort his worries.

"Right, Poppy seems to know how to help her. This pregnancy is worse than when Lily went through it, I'll tell you that." He was trying to joke about it, but it wasn't exactly working. For once he was grateful to Severus when he whispered to him about Mellena's pregnancy with their own twins, though no one seemed to realize that Mellena was once again pregnant herself, "She'll be alright. Mellena did the same thing. Anything that would have given her the slightest amount of being upset or just a little irritated she could get just as sick. Though, with Emma's current knowledge of Igor, I'm surprised he didn't explode when she saw him."

Dumbledore and Barty Crouch went on that night before dismissing everyone once dinner was over that the cup will choose three Champions over the next week and anyone under the age of seventeen would be unfit to participate in the tournament, purely for the student's safety. This had obviously sent an irritated uproar around the Great Hall, the louder shouts coming from Fred and George and Finn Malfoy.

It was to no one's notice that Igor and Alastor were bound to have plenty of strong headed moments. And that Emma was in both of their line of sight, each having a different agenda for Emma and Sirius, even dear Harry Potter, from this year to come.

Trouble was about to start. Difference about this year was that Harry and the rest had both Emma and Sirius there at school with them.

* * *

**_Translation_ **

**_Douce Emma, s'il te plait asseyez-vous avec moi?_** – Sweet Emma, please sit with me?

**_Ce serait un plaisir pour, Madame Maxime._** – It would be my pleasure, Madam Maxime.

* * *

****Okay, if I incorrectly did anything in French I apologize tremendously and would love to be corrected immediately to fix it pronto. I used google translation, and so far it has not failed me yet. However, there is always a first time for everything.**


	26. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter26 **

* * *

Poppy was worried, she had seen Emma having pregnancy sickness through her five months, however this was different. Emma looked as if she was catching something, and that was never good, "Emma, what happened?" she asked laying the young woman back into a bed and began checking her, "Igor, he's a Death Eater… Does Dumbledore not know that? He's- he's dangerous, Poppy. The students-" 

"Will be fine my dear girl, I swear to you, Igor Karkaroff is no danger to the students, Sirius or yourself nor your children. He bargained information for his freedom years ago. Yes, he is a Death Eater, but he abandoned Voldemort the moment he was arrested." Dumbledore said rushing in as soon as Dinner was finished.

He had seen her ill state, even more so when Viktor had asked if she was alright, who had a small cold he was just getting over himself but had asked simply because he saw how heavily pregnant as she was.

Dumbledore knew she must have noticed Igor or knew who he had been involved with in the past, probably from the wanted posters that were hanging up years ago and the pictures of all the Follower's who'd been captured, she was even afraid of Bellatrix now. The dark Witch's maddening photograph had nearly sent Emma into tears, especially when she heard about the Longbottom's who she had once been close too, though not as close as they had been to Lily and James. He wanted to comfort her worries she understandably had, though he had a feeling that it wasn't going to be easy.

"Albus, he traded information for his freedom, how can you trust him when he traded one devil for a different demon?" Emma barked. She was infuriated.

With a sigh he said something he knew would probably hit her hard, "He is no different than Severus, Emma." He quickly saw his error when she grew red in the face, an obvious sign of her outraged anger.

"Sev was bullied and manipulated into joining that wretched following! He was humiliated and embarrassed, thinking that by joining he could possibly have some kind of revenge for how he was treated while at school Albus! Severus betrayed them to save Mell, and my family! Igor Karkaroff is NOTHING like Severus Snape!"

_'Well, that fell through, she has a point though.'_ Albus thought to himself with a small nod, she did have a point, Dumbledore knew that was a very poor example, but it had been worth a try, one that seemed to have only worsened the situation. He had tried none the less, "Emma, Karkaroff is no danger to anyone here, why would I allow someone into my school that would cause such disorder and chaos? You trust me, yes?"

"I'd like to trust you Albus, however considering the last few years have proven to be a bit difficult really."

"Emma, rest, please you're raising your blood pressure, it's not good for you or the babies." Poppy scolded, turning a hard look to the Headmaster, "She needs rest Dumbledore, please. You can finish this after she's rested and in better health." She said giving a stern nod thankful he was approving of ending the conversation where it was, they could finish it when she was rested and feeling better

Albus was really going to allow Igor, a trader to the Death Eaters into his school with numbers of vulnerable students, but he always had his reasons, always had a plan and a back-up plan. So, she let it go, for now.

* * *

The next day moved forward as any other. But Alastor had been acting strange to Emma's notice, but he was always paranoid, so she let the idea go, she kept a close watch over Igor, something wasn't right this year and she had no idea what was wrong. She was unsure if it was Igor that had just unbalanced her or if Alastor's strange behavior was just her trying to find fault somewhere. Really, it was just little thing's she was noticing, but apparently, he had performed the three unforgivable curses that morning to his Dark Arts class, poor Neville had suffered the worse when Alastor subjected a spider to the _Cruciatus_ curse, while another had been subjected to the _Imperius_ curse. Hermione, unfortunately, had said she closed her eyes and bit her tongue when he killed the third spider after placing it on her desk in front of her.

"There are only two people as of today that have ever survived that curse, and one is in this room." Alastor told them and had directed his glance towards Harry.

Ron had felt uneasy, his entire group of close friends had just been traumatized all in one day by Alastor Moody.

Draco had his arms around Hermione, who's hand was covering her mouth to keep her from crying out loud while Neville looked like he was spacing and in complete fear, shaking in his robes. Harry had leaned back into his chair like that would help him move away from Alastor's eyes.

They were all very uncomfortable. He had nearly scared Ron peeing in his pants when he said to give him one of the unforgivable curses, though the only good, or funny thing about the class was when he had sent one of the spiders into Finn's face, his dark hair looked as if it had even paled.

When they had told Emma and Sirius what had happened it deeply bothered both adults. Emma knew Alastor knew better than to subject a kid, teenager or not, let alone his own students, to that kind of firsthand knowledge. She was worried about what had happened when they told them Mad-eye had marched down the steps after Neville and told him to have a cup of tea with him. Emma wanted to believe he was going to talk to the boy and give some kind of Mad-eye apology, but she knew he barely ever apologized.

"Emma, it's done and over with, Dumbledore has likely already spoken to him. Emma for Merlin's sake stop!" Sirius shouted after her, for as pregnant as she was, she could still move fast, he had to jog after her. His saving grace came in the form of Mellena who was heading in their direction and stopped her, turned a huffing Emma back around and pointed back towards the courtyard, "No, you let me or another deal with that, Emma you are months along into your condition and those babies will be healthy when they are born… Walk, get fresh air, go see your nephews and nieces, go see Athella and Horus, their likely stalking Fred and George."

"Yes, seeing the others may help you calm down, or would you rather I floo you back to Molly and Andromeda? Who I will tell you are very angry at you." Sirius scolded her, an obvious 'threat' to send her from Hogwarts and back into a safer, and less stressful, environment. He didn't understand what was wrong with her. For once Sirius was upset with her since he had gotten her back, she was supposed to have stayed at home, until she was better for travel, but being at the school seemed to have only caused her to be more worried and upset, he was really about to send her back, however with Madam Maxime enjoying her time with Emma as of lately, he knew it would upset the women, and he didn't want to have two angry women targeting him, even Mellena may target him for sending Emma away, but he was under the impression she too wanted Emma away from the school as she continued to send her the other way from a possible confrontation.

They were both happy in some small way as they watched her huff and puff on her way out of the school and heading towards Hagrid's, probably looking for some kind of Nature to help her retreat from everything upsetting her, for that they would not stop her from. "Mell, I have no idea what has gotten into her, I'm worried… I have no idea how to handle her this way. It's almost like she's heading to battle or something at every turn." He said with a defeated sigh. Sirius rubbed his face and leaned against one of the beams of the courtyard, he was lost as to how to handle anything at the moment.

Mellena smiled gently and patted his arm in comfort, "Sirius, Emma's used to being the one doing the protecting, she isn't used to being the one protected. For years she was protecting everyone. With her being pregnant, in every woman really, their emotions are always heightened, their fear, their aggression, sorrow, everything. Patience is what is going to be needed here, you both have to learn patience again for one another. Give it some time, try to keep her from going thermal. You both need to be calm. Alastor has been acting… Stranger than normal, but he's in an open field where he thinks he'll be attacked, the man is paranoid as can be, worse really. But he's a brilliant teacher, however, I agree that his recent classes activity was too far. Dumbledore is likely having a few words with him. You both need to not worry as much, Sirius, it isn't healthy, if she tries to argue don't give her the satisfaction of it, same for her towards you."

"That's the crazy thing Mell, that's the first time since I've been back that we even gave one another that kind of look."

Mellena smiled knowing fully well what 'look' he was talking about, but for now, she was going to play dumb, "And what look was that dear friend?"

"The look saying we're going to be having words later on… What else kind of look would she be giving me?" He bustled out, Sirius hated when he angered Emma, and vise versa, but Mellena couldn't help but laugh at him, Emma always gave him that look, maybe he'd forgotten. But she felt terribly for them both because now they had to relearn one another, but this still didn't make that any less funny to her.

When he'd given her a look of _'what the bloody hell are you laughing at,'_ she gave him an answer, "You both have always given one another that look, Sirius. It'll never change. Just like she'll get over the craziness and kiss you the second she sees you. Go after her, tell her you love her, even if you've told her fifty times today already. She'll always come back to you Sirius Black. And I envy you both on that love." She hadn't meant to sound weak at that moment, but the troubles between her and Severus were really pushing her. This time, she finally had enough of holding everything back she had allowed herself to cry.

Sirius watched with shock, closely watching Mellena's blue eyes he knew so very clearly belonged to Gabrielle, eyes that now belonged to Mellena. Her tears spilled over and rolled down in thick groupings down her cheeks. His worries were quickly forgotten and his full attention on the crying woman he'd adored so much as a little sister, "Gabby-"

"Sev and I are fighting. I don't know what to do and being pregnant again is not helping." She balled. Her emotions were going everywhere on the pregnancy roller-coaster ride.

"Does he know your pregnant?" He was graced with no answer, which gave him the impression Severus didn't know, "How far along?" he wasn't expecting her to fully break down on him.

Mellena's sobs grew heavy, trying to help her two friends with their own things had really sent her into her own downward spiral, "Almost three months… Sirius, he's acting so strange, the kids barely see him anymore and Athella is such a daddy's girl. She always asks me when he's coming home, and I don't have an answer to tell her because I don't know. I don't understand what's going on. All he says is that it is for the better. He's so cold to me, barely seeing the children-" though she was interrupted before she could finish her distressed situation when her name was called out, "Mellena." The owner of the voice sounded cold and distant, but she knew that the owner of the voice simply held that tone simply because a certain someone was with her.

_'Speak of the devil, right on time Snape…'_ Sirius saw this as his time to bow out, this was a conversation he really didn't need to be present for. So, taking his leave Sirius hugged her in a tight comforting hug, kissed her forehead and wished them both luck and headed off after Emma's previous direction. If Snape never felt anything but cold malice likeness for everyone else yet could look at his wife and children with such a longing look in his eyes as he was now, Sirius couldn't care less of how much he and Snape did not get along. Severus was there now, and he hoped it went well, they both needed one another.

Severus Snape disliked Sirius Black to capital 'T'. Yet he had seen them somewhat seeing eye to eye lately. He was cold in these dark growing days, but Sirius had noted something sincere and concerning, it was in the man's eyes. Severus had been looking around for his wife for what felt like hours, he needed to speak to her. He knew she felt betrayed and abandoned, he wanted her to know he was not doing that, he'd never abandon them, but he needed her to know he had left, and his sudden change in behavior was what needed to be done in views of others for her and the kids protection. But to his dislike he found his wife crying to Sirius Black, someone he really didn't care for, simply because of their past, but he felt enraged she had gone to **_him_** instead of Emma or himself.

Mellena sighed, wiping away her tears with her sleeve. She had a feeling he may have thought she was just going to go to anyone and talk about their marital problems, but Sirius just happened to be the one she had broken down, "Sev, it's not what you think."

Severus's brow rose, wondering what she had honestly though he was going to say, so he played along, "Really, and what may I ask do you suppose I was thinking. Gabrielle?"

_'Yep, he's mad.'_

Really, he wasn't that angry with her, just a bit irritated, "Thinking I went straight to the person you hate the most and started talking about us."

Now this stunned him, but he stayed silent and let her rant on.

"He just happened to be there Sev. I was really going to talk to Emma but I just…. Had one of my moments and had a small break down. I don't… Do you still love me?" she randomly asked with a pulling sadness in her breaking voice.

He watched her with wide eyes, now he was beyond stunned, and he felt stupid. He hadn't thought that ignoring of his family to keep them in the dark for their safety had made them think he had no longer loved them, but his wife now asking him this tore his heart straight from his chest, grinded it then fed it to a herd of vultures. Severus felt sick. Everything he was going to say to her only moments ago was washed away and he did the only thing he could do, witnesses be damned. Severus cupped Mellena's face and pulled her lips flush against his, kissing her deeply, like fire kissing warm flesh. He felt his heart slowly coming back to him when she responded, only to be viciously ripped from him again when he not only felt her wet tears but tasted the salt from them, he had once again hurt the one woman he had sworn he'd never hurt again. And he had done it in the worst way. Emma had been right, she had a right to know, he had to tell his wife. Pulling from the kiss, Severus sighed and gently wiped her tears from her cheeks, "Gabby, stop… I've been keeping something from you, something I should have told you a long time ago. But it's not easy to explain anything, I just… I don't want you to hate me."

Mellena was terrified, he had kissed her with so much fire, desire and love that she thought everything would be alright, but now he was scaring her and she was really hoping he wasn't going to tell her he was having an affair with another person, because that may just kill her. "Sev… What did you do?" The words just left her. She honestly hadn't been thinking of even talking. He hadn't given her a direct answer, yet.

Severus gripped her hand in a vice like grip and quickly walked her to his office and paced for the first few minutes, unsure how to even start telling her this.

"Severus Snape, please if you're going to tell me you've been having an affair please just tell me you want a divorce instead." But his immediate reaction to her constantly thinking he was going to leave her for another had drawn its line and frightened her, "Will you stop with the none since Gabrielle! I am not leaving you. I love you, and I will always love you even after I've died! I'm trying to tell you that the Dark Lord is returning. I'm an inside rat for Dumbledore and the Order!"

For once she was so speechless that she was dumbstruck, because now her ridiculous nonsense about him having an affair was done and a whole new set of questions slammed into her with fear.

He'd finally said it. "I'll never leave you. I'll never abandon you… But please, just trust me. I'm trying to keep you all safe! Ella, Horus, you… Future children, and Harry. If we pull this off, he's gone forever."

"B-but he's dangerous Sev. We won't win this war without casualties… What about your life, me and the twins, what will I tell the child I'm currently carrying why their father isn't around to tell him or her that he loves them? Why did you agree to this without consulting me fully first!" Mellena screamed at him, tears of fury and sorrow rushing from her eyes. He knew she'd hate the news. He knew it would never be easy to tell her. That she'd never agree to it, but her words where practically a confession, a confession that shocked him that he'd been that blind to her condition. "… You're pregnant?"

"Almost three months."

Arguments forgotten all Severus wanted at that moment was his wife. He'd swiftly walked her against a wall and was happier noticing he was close enough to the door to lock it just as quickly to capture her lips catching her off guard. Grinning with the knowledge that he could still surprise her a bit. Severus picked up his wife from her feet and used the wall to aid their balance.

Shocked as she was, Mellena was just glad he wasn't having an affair. With her previous thoughts cast aside her arms laced themselves around Severus' neck and kissed her husband just as deeply as they had first kissed one another all those years ago. A giggle escaping her when he groped her bottom and lifted her up and flush against the wall, her legs wrapping around his waist as they made their way to his desk.

The couple was once again happy, knowing why the other was so beside themselves and to finally have things sorted out… in a manner of speaking.

** Hagrid's **

Sirius smiled wide, happy he'd found Hagrid sitting out on the steps with his door open and next to Emma, who had a steaming cup of tea in her hands, "Sirius, lovely ta see ya, 'ow are ya doin' today?" Hagrid asked with a warm smile, something he'd missed about this place. Hagrid always seemed to be able to make it feel nice and warm, welcoming to everyone who visited. But his attention was mainly focused on Emma, his usual grin plastered on his face as he made his way fully towards them, "Doing well, thank you, old friend. However, I do apologize."

Hagrid and Emma both looked confused in wonder as to why he was giving an apology, "For?"

"This," Sirius moved the cup from Emma's palms, grabbed one of her hands and pulled her to her feet, his grin wider than ever and a mischief glaze in his grey eyes when she opened her mouth to protest his behavior and quickly silenced her outburst locking their lips together with a vigorous kiss filled with passion.

Poor Hagrid blushed a small shade of pink at their public affection, but he couldn't help the grin that grew on his face and nearly laughed at Fang and Mal when both dogs hide their faces under a paw. Mal had snuck a peek with one eye open while Fang was attempting to keep his eyes from the sight.

* * *

**Thursday Night**

Everyone was gathering in the great hall for the Champions to be picked, everyone was joking about and playfully shoving one another, "Yeah, rather you than me," Harry shot back to Ron and Draco but really, he was kind of being serious, he already had enough 'fame' going around his name he didn't want nor need any more. But fate, yet again, was cruel and had a way to playing with people.

Dumbledore had waited long enough for the students to quiet down for him to begin speaking, "Silence! Now, tonight we choose our champions, these three champions will be facing three very dangerous tasks that will put them through trials of themselves; body and mind. Now, once chosen, you stand alone." With his warning set in stone everyone, students, Staff and Headmasters and Mistress, watched Dumbledore turn to the blue flaming Cup, touching the warm metal, awaiting the first chosen Champion.

Watching with adoration and wonder as blue flames swirled around inside and spit out a flaming piece of parchment, rimmed with a shining silver into the air and into the Hogwarts Headmaster's awaiting hand. The anticipation was once again setting into everyone, those who put their name in the cup and those who were hoping for their friend or significant other to be chosen as the champion.

"Champion of Beauxbaton, Fleur Delacour!" Cheers and whistles came from around the entire Hall, everyone watched the bouncy blonde walk up to Dumbledore, shaking his hand and thank him then took her place up on the high stage that had been cleared of the Professor's table for this event to occur.

"Quiet please…" Dumbledore called out, catching the next Champion, "Champion of Drumstrang, Viktor Krum!" the boy jumped with excitement, finally proud he could prove himself, quickly walked to Dumbledore to shake his hand with pride and took his place next to Fleur, and understandably ended up checking her out. And why wouldn't he, he was a young man and she was a very beautiful young woman, any man would be blind to not think she was gorgeous.

"Hogwarts Champion, Cedric Diggory!" Cheers erupted from the hall, louder than the other two champions had received. It should have been obvious since they were at Hogwarts that the Hogwarts Champion would get the louder of the cheers and congratulations, "Excellent! Now that we have our three champions-" unfortunately, the cup was not finished.

Dumbledore's speech was interrupted when flashes of blue and bright purple swirled up from the cup lighting the entire hall. Everyone looked on in wonder and curiosity as the flames spit out another piece of parchment, a name attached that struck him in the gut, filling him with utter fear. Dumbledore had to re-read the name three times to himself before he had the courage to speak it, even then his voice was soft and full of confusion, "Harry Potter?" three champions were supposed to be chosen, and three they had. Why was a fourth, and one that shouldn't have even been able to get his name into the cup was evidence something was by far wrong and in this result had made a liar out of him to this young Wizards Aunt. A woman he adored as his own family, but one he knew he had some fear of if she was crossed into depths, and in the state she was in, crossing her was not exactly hard to do.

Dumbledore spoke with full shock and uncertainty and fearful when Harry hadn't approached once he'd called for the boy twice already. "HARRY POTTER!" He shouted, outraged looking around for the fourth year. Dumbledore himself had put a charm around the Goblet of Fire, so of course he was enraged and confused.

_'How did his name even get in the pool! His name piece should have been burnt the second he put it in and him tossed back, just like the Weasley twins! Unless- no, he wouldn't, would he? Someone else must have put it in there at his request or more likely against his knowledge and consent!'_

Harry had not yet moved and honestly was trying to hide behind Draco and Ron. Hermione was petrified in her spot between Harry and Lavender and Neville who was sitting behind her next to Ron. She was grateful to the gently hand of Lavender Brown gave a calming squeeze to her shoulder that woke the frightened girl up from her shock. "Harry, for goodness sake's go," she forced the words out and gently shoved him down from the stands and into the isles of the Great hall, forcing him to slowly walk towards Dumbledore and the rest.

Minerva covered her mouth, hoping to hide her fear and panic.

Snape stood with shocked eyes and mouth gaping open.

Mad-eye looked like he always did, stern and cold eyes drilling into him as he watched Harry walk on unsteady legs towards Dumbledore.

Harry looked at Snape, eyes pleading for help, unfortunately, as much as Snape would love to help Harry, he could do absolutely nothing and watched him turn his pleading eyes to his Aunt and Sirius, who were staring wide eyed at him, both with a look of terror.

Students shouted about how he'd cheated and that he wasn't even seventeen yet.

_'Tell me something I don't know! I didn't even put my name in the blasted thing! WHAT IS GOING ON?'_

Harry was told to go down to the trophy room after the celebrations were over, but honestly, he felt like hiding and vomiting. No one but Neville and Draco would speak to him.

Ginny had hidden herself off away with Ron, and the twins with Hermione and Lavender joining them. Though, Lavender and Hermione seemed to be the only one's trying to talk sense into them while Ginny sent him worried glances the entire time while her brothers sent out glares, mostly full of wonder and utter confusion, but a lot of it was full of jealousy. However, the nasty looks Ron was sending him was what hurt Harry the most.

"Come on, Harry. They'll get over it soon." Draco said patting him on the back, "Y-yeah, it'll be alright. I'm sure Dumbledore and others can fix this… Right Draco?" Neville was trying to help cheer Harry up, though his uncertainty was making him very hard to be believable. Draco smiled and waved at the group, who had smiled back to Draco and even Neville who waved back nervously, yet turned their eyes from Harry, as if he had never existed.

Hermione stared at the boys with utter disbelief, fire burning in her eyes at the three Weasley boys, "That was very mature," Hermione huffed and stormed off, followed by a worried Lavender Brown and Ginny who rushed after the fleeting girl leaving the Celebrations and headed back up towards the Common rooms huffing and puffing, "I cannot believe them! They actually think Harry pulled this off, it's preposterous! He's a fourth year, even I couldn't have gotten past that charm!" Hermione shouted with pure rage, "They're not going to bed tonight without hearing an earful that's for sure!"

"Hermione, maybe you should try to calm down. Their all obviously upset, even Harry. Yes, their blind but their boys and boys aren't always so bright, especially when they really wanted to be the Hogwarts Champion." Lavender said nearly out of breath trying to keep up with the two girls.

Ginny agreed and took over for her.

"Yeah. You know Ron, he's jealous because Harry's been famous for years, granted he's famous for a very terrible tragedy that happened, and he really shouldn't be, but they had all been joking just previous to the Champions selection so they're going to be understandably jealous of him." Ginny said shrugging back to Lavender when Hermione simply shook her head at the two.

"They are still being absolutely ridicules and very stupid! What if Harry's terribly hurt in this, they'll never forgive themselves, at least I hope they feel terrible and emotionally suffer for a while!"

Shocked beyond belief, both girls following behind her had gasped, "Hermione!" then proceeded to scold her a bit.

**Trophy Room**

Harry took a breath, trying to fill himself with some courage as he walked down the steps towards the trophy room on shaking legs, he didn't want to be there, he was terrified and confused. He sighed with relief when he saw Fleur and Cedric. He had only taken two steps towards someone he thought could be a possibly friend to help calm him down, but his hopes for a calming environment was viciously interrupted by shouts and yells of an argument.

"Harry!" Dumbledore shouted, rushing down the stairs toward him.

"Harry James!"

_'Oh crap, they let Aunt Emma down here? Honestly, I don't think I'll survive to see the first task then, please just let her kill me now, so I don't have to go through this? Better yet, have them expel me for the year and I'll do home-schooling for the rest of the year to keep up with work, yeah, that sounds like a nice idea.'_

" 'Arry Potter! 'Arry Potter!" the voice obviously belonging to Madam Maxime rushing up behind Dumbledore

Dumbledore nearly stumbled in his quickened pace and caught himself with Harry who had stumbled back at the sudden contact and closeness. "Harry! Did you put your name in the Goblet of fire!"

"No sir!" Harry said in a panic, "Are you absolutely sure!?" Dumbledore had to know, he could have been cursed, _Imperius_ maybe, but it doesn't explain how his name was able to stay in the fire if he put it in himself, "Yes sir!" Harry answered, his voice still filled with panic, his green eyes filling with fear, he really didn't want to be there.

"To the Gods he is lying!" Maxime screamed viciously, smacking a lantern out of her way.

"LIKE HELL HE IS!" Sirius and Emma both shouted in rage, they were quickly backed by Alastor to their tremendous gratitude, "The Goblet of Fire is an extremely powerful magic, it would take an extremely powerful Confundus charm to have Hoodwinked it into believing **_Four_** champions were to compete, not **_three_**!" Alastor shouted finally making it a bit late to the 'party'.

Harry had heard enough, he was looking around, trying to find a place to hide himself, he was grateful when Cedric walked up next to him and patted him on the back with a calming and friendly smile at him, nodding to Harry letting the frightened, and obviously upset, fourth year know that he was not alone. But their brief moment of calmness was ended when Karkaroff opened his mouth yet again.

"You seemed to have put a lot of thought into this, Mad eye!" Karkaroff growled at the retired Auror, a stone like glare steering towards him, "ENOUGH! ALL OF YOU!" Emma's voice screamed and echoed through the Trophy room, she was half out of breath and face redder than an apple. Their arguing had been growing louder and louder, and very much out of control. Both parties of Hogwarts Guests were threatening to leave and withdraw from the tournament because of a second Hogwarts champion had been selected, something Harry had nothing to do with, yet they were all blaming him.

Everyone turned to find her in a state that seemed to frighten nearly everyone wide eyed and had effectively silenced them, "That is enough, Mad-eye is right. The Goblet of Fire is a very powerful Magical object, Harry hasn't the power to back him to do that. Dare I say it was someone older with years of skills to back them up for them to not only get through Dumbledore Age Line but also to trick the Goblet into choosing four people, not three. Alastor is right."

"Well I dare say I'm very close to leaving as we speak! Weeks, to previous months, we Headmasters of our schools negotiated our terms of this Tournament! Now those very terms have been burned to the ground by this degraded inbreed of a boy!" Karkaroff growled once again, his words had been the cause of his check being full of a sting and burn when Emma slapped him.

Barty stood shocked at how fast that had escalated, Dumbledore rushed to Emma and held her back by the woman's arms, while Maxime and Fleur both gasped. Viktor coughed back a few chuckles while Cedric laughed, not only at the scene that had just occurred but also because Alastor and Sirius were also laughing. Cedric also couldn't help the belly rolling laughter, Harry was staring with his mouth hanging open. But after that slap, they should have put a blind fold on her eyes. They were staring at Karkaroff with Hades fires burning deep behind her emerald eyes. She was fierce and a force not to be played with at all. In truth, Igor had definitely deserved that slap.

Sirius simply covered his wide grin with hand and tried not to laugh at the fool, but he couldn't stop the laughter.

"Igor Karkaroff! Death Eater for eternity and traitor to his previous band of wretched bastards! You say one more word about that boy and Voldemort himself will be the last thing haunting your fears in the darkness of the night." Emma snarled at the man. He'd done his last straw by saying what he had. But the vicious tone deep her voice had him wanting to pee himself. If not curse the woman. Though he figured the later would not only be highly frowned upon, but likely be the cause of his arrest, or worse his death.

Sirius moved around Dumbledore and wrapped his arms around her shaking form, "Okay Love, easy. Breath please. High blood pressure is not good for the babies," He said rubbing her back and she had gone from outraged anger to a fit of tears in his arms, "Barty, you'll be our final judge."

" **Quelle** can we do… Do we 'ave any 'ope in removing ze boy from ze Tournament? 'E's only Fourteen!" Maxime asked in concern. Really, she wanted the tournament to be fair for each school, but Harry was just a child to her, a young teenager. He didn't need to be in something like this.

"The Goblet of Fire has a magical binding contract. It is unable to be undone. I am afraid, that as of tonight, Mr. Potter is a Tri-Wizard Champion." Barty said with a fallen face, that was the worst news he'd had to give in a few years. His heart fell for the boy when he found his and Mr. Diggory's face fallen completely, both Hogwarts boys sharing a look of worry and fear for the other. But his heart shattered more for Harry when his aunt's cries hit his ears. He understood she was going to jump back and forth from emotion to emotion in a heartbeat, but this cry was because her nephew was in danger that they had placed the loaded wand in front of someone's face that saw an advantage and took it to get the boy into life threatening danger.

* * *

**_Translation- 'Quelle' = What_ **


	27. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 27 **

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****PLEASE, if the translation and the French is incorrect please inform me at once with the proper translation so I can fix it as soon as possible, I do not wish to offend anyone, and I would like to be sure it is correct. I am using google translate but so far it has not let me down. Yet. However, there is a first time for everything. It did give me a few different translations when I went back and switched the languages to re-check and recheck again, so I went with the one that was the best route for this. Again, if you find something in the French, I have that is incorrect please, please, please let me know and if you have the correct translation, I’d be ever so grateful for the correct grammar and writing for this to be as perfect as can be.**

* * *

They had decided it was best that Emma and Igor keep a very healthy distance from one another, meaning no eye contact and no speaking. This, Emma knew she could do… Possibly. As long as Igor kept his mouth shut when he was in ear shot, they would survive.

Madam Maxime had gently patted the girl on the arm after the intense scene and said she would be glad to enjoy a cup of calming tea in the kitchen, something the two ladies had in fact gone and done with Emma introducing some of the Elves to Maxime. All the house Elves seemed to be all smiles and happy to hear she was finally having a family as they conversed with the two Witches glad to have some different company while two of the many others, Penny and Molie, made the two ladies their requested cups of tea.

"FOXY ROXIE! ALL KNOCKED UP AND STRANDED ALONE!" Peeves screeched in a very terrible singing voice as he flew in through the walls of the kitchen causing a raucous. The house elves screeching at him to bugger off, "Classic Peeves,"

" 'Ow disgusting! 'Ow rude!" Maxime shouted with shock. A handheld to her chest, her mouth a gap at what Peeves had said, "'Ow are you not bozered by 'im zaying zuch zing's Emma!" Maxime bustled out with stunned shock.

Unable to contain her laughter, Emma let some giggles out. Maxime was offended on behalf of her because of Peeves. She thought it was one of the sweetest things ever. But she had to remember that Maxime was a guest here and was not used to such rude and cruel behavior from a ghost. "You get used to it, unfortunately. After being here for so many years he tries to get a rise out of you, in doing so he can later use it against you. He's likely already insulted some of your dear girls, but if it gets far too out of hand all you have to do is speak to Albus about him or the Bloody Barren." Emma figured to warn the dear French woman beforehand that way she could be at least decently prepared for Peeves' rude character, to everyone really. But they had to start getting everything and everyone ready for the Tasks that were soon to begin in the next few days.

As the days trailed on, Draco, Neville, occasionally Hermione, and Lavender were the only ones out his small group of friends that would speak to him and try to encourage him. Badges had come out very quickly regarding "The real Hogwarts Champion" with a face of a smiling Cedric Diggory then swirl into a wonky face of Harry with the words melting around it, reading in simple words, "Potter stinks".

Hufflepuff and Slytherin were the worst towards him. Hufflepuff, because Harry was the second, and never supposed to have been, chosen Gryffindor Champion with Cedric, the Hufflepuff Champion of Hogwarts. This issue was causing a lot of trouble. Draco had actually punched one of the sixth year Hufflepuff classmates one afternoon, "He never even put his name in the damn thing in the first place! He was with me and other the entire night you, moronic git!" Draco shouted, he was having enough of it, Harry had cried himself to sleep just the other night because of him and Ron getting into it, none of them needed this, least of all Harry.

"MR. MALFOY! MY OFFICE THIS INSTANT!" McGonagall shouted, outraged. He had taken to swinging when he didn't have the words to say. Truthfully, the punches had shut the idiots up quicker instead of standing and having a useless argument. Even Cedric was putting up a fuss over the dumb badges, asking many of his fellow student to not wear them because it was wrong and very degrading. He'd wanted nothing to do with being a part of Harry's downward spiral into feeling attacked. But no one was listening, they'd removed them for a while then put them right back on as soon as Harry was walking near and block him in, badges right in his face. Teachers were having an issue with confiscating them. In only three days they had gathered too many to remember how many they had.

Dumbledore had even made a small speech about them, announcing that once the person was caught that was producing them, they would not only confiscate the entire collection but the person, or persons, responsible, would have detention for the rest of the school year.

Harry had not gone to anyone, only spoke to Draco and a few others, which only included Sirius and writing to Remus, simply because his Aunt was way to over emotional and he really didn't want a recap of her and Igor again, no matter how funny everyone had thought it was.

Emma had been lucky, very lucky, she hadn't been told to leave Hogwarts grounds for that, let alone arrested for striking a Guest in Hogwarts and Headmaster of a different school, and in front of many witnesses.

Draco huffed and puffed as he stormed to McGonagall, he knew he was getting a detention, "Sit, Draco… I think you and I need to have a talk."

_'Well, this was unexpected.'_

Draco was taken back until a thought popped into his mind that made his stomach lurch. 

_'Maybe I shouldn't have hit the guy,_ '

"Please don't expel me." He asked, looking down into his lap, fiddling with his figures, he was done for.

"Draco, I understand your desire to guard Potter… I really do, and no I am not expelling you, not this time, that is. But you need to cease these violent reactions, hitting others may silence them quicker, yes, but a battle of the mind and words is far better than bloody knuckles and broken bones… That boy is on his way to Madam Pomfrey to get his nose fixed!" Minerva huffed, sinking in her chair, "Draco, you are a very smart young Wizard, your grades prove this with a strong notion. Prove those grades right and you're worthy of staying in this school and I will give you another chance to clear your record of all of these detentions and marks you have received in the last months. Bravery comes in many different forms, Mr. Malfoy. Your mother is proof of that, as is your aunt. Both are very smart and very talented Witches. Even your father, no matter how narrow sighted his intentions currently. He was a brilliant student here. Now, I know you two don't get along very much anymore, but you should still be proud to be their son. If not your father's son, at least show your mother how skilled and brilliant you are. Now, I expect to see you in class tomorrow morning and on best behavior, yes?" She smiled at the shock her new student had on his face, the happy smile that shined through his blue eyes. She thought she did quite well this time around with him if she said so herself, which she very much would.

Draco smiled with excitement, and really shocked that he wasn't being expelled but that someone had seen through him. Emma may have caught on but with her in such a distressed and emotional state she understandably hadn't, Sirius had helped him previously, however, this time around Draco had a different kind of emotion boiling over in him, sadness for feeling like a frailer to his family, and the full driving need to protect Harry from all these ridiculous attacks he was currently getting over the Tournament mishap. "Yeah… Yes, yes, definitely Professor."

McGonagall had only seen this simply because she was his teacher, not his aunt nor mother. But his teacher, and sometimes teachers saw through things faster and more clearly than that of a relative and was glad the next day had gone gracefully. McGonagall had spoken with Emma and Sirius and since then McGonagall had smiled with Pride at Draco for doing so well, she just hoped he could maintain it through the next few years.

When morning came around Harry found himself going back to the Trophy room with the other three champions, supposedly they were supposed to have pictures and Rita Skeeter was apparently going to be doing an article about them.

Draco had dragged him from bed and towards the trophy room against his will, "Just get it over with Jamie. It's just a picture and an interview, it's painless." He said poking about of fun at the sulking and irritated boy.

"For you maybe, you're not the one that's getting slammed with all of this rubbish." Harry grumble. He'd nearly stumbled down the steps when Draco slapped in on the back and laughed.

"Hey, I'll be up here waitin' for you, how's that?" Draco laughed and sat on the steps and got himself comfortable. This helped in making him laugh a bit, "Yeah, sure Draco. I shouldn't be long though, maybe an hour depending on how much someone wants to talk about themselves." And so, it went.

Rita hadn't even listened to them and simply written what she wished, meaning she put words in their mouths and put misinformation. This very much irritated Harry and the other three, especially Cedric, who had given the woman a rude glare.

"You okay Cedric?" Harry asked them as they all walked from the room.

"Yeah. She's just ridiculous and very rude. Now I know why my dad never cared much for that woman, all talk and puts words into your mouth. She wrote in her notepad that I had an air of "justified ego" and jealousy towards you because there are now two Hogwarts Champions… That's completely ridiculous … You got slapped by this event and the Goblet got Hoodwinked, as Alastor worded it which is completely unfair to you. I mean your fourteen and act as though you really don't want any part in this, which if I was in your position I wouldn't either. I'd be scared out of my wits. I still think Barty had the means to help you out of this. But do you know what I think? And please, don't think I'm upset with this, I'm not I swear. I think someone put your name in that Goblet to either get more publicity out of this or to put your life in danger again, like rumors are saying about that Dark Wizard targeting you, and I hope that is the last thing that happens, I'd rather find out someone used the Tournament as a means of more publicity." Cedric admitted.

Harry waited for Cedric to calm himself, he had gone red in the face with embarrassment from Rita Skeeter writing what she had and had become offended on Harry's behalf for what had happened. Harry greatly appraised it, because Cedric could have been petty and cruel to Harry for being a second champion for Hogwarts, yet he's upset no one tried to help him get out of it like he had actually hoped.

"Harry, just be careful as you go with these tasks, will ya. May the best Hogwarts champion win?" Cedric said holding a hand out to Harry with a smile.

Harry had done the only thing he could think of doing, he shook Cedric's hand and smiled back with a glad smile shining in his eyes, "Thanks Cedric, may the best win, and honestly, I hope it’s you." This had given the Hufflepuff Seeker a moment to smile wide and blushing a faint pink. Even Harry Potter wanted him to win, and he too hoped he won, but he didn't see it fair to Harry that he had been hit in the crossfire of this Tournament, "Thank you… Good luck, see you around Harry." And they left that as it was, a happy parting as friends and friendly competitors.

Harry groaned sitting out by the lake with Neville 'fishing' around in the water, pant legs rolled up to his knees and Draco laying fully sprawled out on the ground simply enjoying the chilling air and nature in the middle of the seasons changing Harry sat under a tree looking through the book Alastor had handed over to Neville when he had tea with Alastor Moody after that terrible class they their first week of school.

Though, Harry's attention was pulled from the book when Neville waved to someone behind the tree Harry was sitting under and Draco's slight grumble of, "Please don't let this be trouble," under his breath and to them a bit lazily and laid back into the ground with a sigh and knowing full well that Harry had a bit of a temper today and had tried to warn him to not say anything stupid.

"Harry, don't-" but it was to no avail. Harry had already made a move towards the group heading their way. A group containing, Ron, Ginny, Lavender, Hermione and Seamus. Though, Ron seemed to look more distressed between speaking to them and wanting to hit Harry. So, he left the talking to Hermione, who didn't seem to be the least bit happy, trying to tell Ron to just suck it up and talk to Harry himself, but she had been shushed and told to just do it with a small, scared squeaking, "Please?" at the end when she gave the red head a stern glare and huffed out in annoyance.

"Fine." And she began she short march to meet Harry halfway.

"Um, Draco," Neville said with his usual nervousness, he was still getting used to Draco being a friend towards him, but he was liking the friendly nature. But Neville had a feeling this wasn't going to turn out very well in some way, watching Draco sigh and move himself to stand and jogged after Harry. Knowing he was right for the task of confrontation at the moment, Neville went back to his book and the Black Lake's busy little creatures and other elements in the water for magical and herbal uses, and so began the small and very confusing confrontation, this time Draco was trying to keep Hermione from killing Harry when he'd turned and told her to tell Ron something.

Already irritated, more like pissed off and annoyed, Hermione had turned on Harry mid-step away from leaving and screamed, "I'M NOT AN OWL!" and stormed off with Ginny and Lavender rushing after the fleeing girl, leaving Ron and Seamus glaring and shaking their heads at Harry for his stupidity. Then again, Ron hadn't helped either since he'd been the one to make her speak to Harry.

"Well, that went well." Draco sighed, groaning and stalked after a fuming Harry, stopping the run-away boy by grabbing his jacket, "Hey! You need to calm down, Jamie. Hermione is pissed because everyone is trashing on you, then her for trying to defend you. Cedric is even getting ignored and very much annoyed. So, stop with the pouting and think for just a few minutes will you… We **cannot** just leave Neville out here alone. Finn will eat him alive and bloody the poor boy to an unrecognizable pulp if he sees him out here alone." Draco had had just about enough of this stupid crap. The Tournament had caused so much drama and stress it was making him sick, that and he was just glad he hadn't hit anyone since McGonagall talked to him the other day, something he was very grateful for.

With a sigh, Harry nodded and moved back to the tree and continued reading through Neville’s' book while Draco laid back in the dirt with a sigh of relief.

_'Finally, silence and relaxation.'_

Once night fell, Harry sighed as chills continued to run though him while he trudged through the cold, night air. His tan, two layer, knitted and wool lining, winter sweater, keeping him warm with his scarf tightly held to him, and his father's invisibility cloak held tightly in his grasp, trying to keep the warmth from leaving him as he met up with Hagrid, "Why did you want me to meet you out here… Hagrid, is that a flower and a… is that a polka dotted tie? You've combed your hair, what's going on Hagrid?" Harry was utterly confused, Hagrid looked like he was heading out for a date! Now he just felt weird being out here if Hagrid was meeting someone out there while trying to supposedly tell him or show him what the first task was. 

_'This is going to be a long night,'_

"Well… Yes, as a mat'er o' fact it is, and yes, I combed me hair. May wan' ta try it out on yer own hair if ya ask me. May help ya with that bit o' a mess ya got goin' on 'here- Oh, get under the cloak, quickly now." Hagrid said, rushing the poor boy under the cloak and moved out from behind the bushes towards a shadowing figure approaching them.

"'Agrid? Ooh 'Agrid, I zought, you may 'ave forgotten me." 

_‘Madam Maxime! What in the blazing broom stick is going on!'_

"Forget you Olympe, never." Harry silently gaged from under the cloak as he watched.

_'Grose! Is it not bad enough I end up seeing Aunt Emma and Sirius getting all lovey-dovey? This is nasty!'_

"You zaid zere was zomezing you needed to show me?"

He had abruptly stopped her before she had finished leaning in, in an attempt to kiss him, this left the poor woman confused and a bit embarrassed, "Ah, yes follow me, I though ya would like to know what the first challenge was. It's not right that they not tell ya what to expect besides some crazy clues to figure it out. 'here ya go."

Harry shook his head at Hagrid's obliviousness. He hated watching adults getting all cozy, though sometimes it could be cute, but Harry felt bad for the dear woman, she seemed to have thought Hagrid was interested in her, really he was but his mind had moved from one thing to another so fast the situation of Maxime wanting to kiss him had quickly left his mind and went back to work. Because work was all he ever knew. Harry's mind had been blanked out when Hagrid moved the tall brush aside and cages and fire bursting through startled him and Maxime. Harry strained his eyes to see a bit, but when the creatures began screeching and spitting fire, Harry's heart fell to his stomach with fear swelling up in him. He had ripped the cloak off him and rushed forward, "Dragons! That's the first task? Are they insane!"

"Well, I don' have the answer to most o' that. But yes, Dragons. Ter'ibly misund'rstood dragons are… All though, that Horntail is a right nasty thing don' ya think? Poor Ron nearly fainted just seeing 'em. Ron's brother, Charlie, brought them over from Romania… Didn't Ron tell ya?"

"No, he didn't tell me anything!" Now Harry had a reason to be pissed at Ron, he had the chance to tell him earlier, instead he sent Hermione to him telling him someone said something about another person claiming that Hagrid was looking for him and that he needed to see him that night. 

_'You are so in for it Ron. Draco won't even be able to help you out of this one.'_

"Thanks Hagrid, I gotta get to bed though, long day. Good luck with your night." And with that he left. Everyone had been asleep already when he got back to the Dorm room, letting him ready for bed without issue, but even that seemed to want to avoid him.

* * *

The next day was a roller coaster, Draco had to attend detention because he knocked one of the Beauxbaton girls down the stairs with him trying to avoid someone's stupid pranks they had set for someone.

**_Flashback-_ **

_Draco, being himself had seen the string like trap and pulled the red head into his arms, however her sudden move to face Draco had sent him off balance, trying to rebalance them both. His ankle had caught the floss trap which had been the cause of them falling down the staircase very ungracefully and the redhead landing on top of him. He had been so shocked by her deep blue eyes he hadn't expected her to slap him and scream that he was a pervert._

_" **Comment oses-tu! Laisse-moi aller tout de suite, pervers!"** she screamed, scurrying away from him. Dusting her silken blue uniform from the dust, fixed her hair as best she could and put her hat back atop her head with another huff then started picking up her few books and small side purse that had scattered across the floor._

_Draco, feeling terrible he had caused her this much distress, had bent to help her, only have her gently swat his hands away, " **S'il vous plaît laissez-le, vous avez fait assez.** " Hearing the tens sadness in her tone and her refusal to look at him, Draco immediately moved back from her and apologized. He felt terrible. He really was only trying to help her from breaking an ankle, but it seems he had made something worse, the poor girl had not only sounded saddened by something, but looked as if she was near tears, Draco half thought he had been the cause._

_"Mr. Malfoy! Please come with me. **Mademoiselle, trouvez s'il vous plaìt Madame Maxime et venez à mon bureau.** " McGonagall spoke to the young student who huffed and puffed at Draco, a hard and heated glare pointing at him, he was wanting to ask her name, but McGonagall had cleared her throat with a stern look saying "_Now, Mr. Malfoy." _It was really sad when Draco knew that look all too well and sighed in defeat,_ 'My day has just gone down into the Dragon's dung pile… great.'

_Still wanting to know her name Draco had stopped mid-way to McGonagall and turned back towards her to find two others, a young blonde, Fleur, helping the fallen and disoriented redhead, **"Alicia tu vas bien?** " The youngest blonde asked. Now he knew her name and he couldn't wait to tell Harry and the other’s he'd found a rare beauty in a red head with the most sapphire blue eyes he'd ever seen._

Harry growled in the back of his throat, when he saw Ron and Seamus walking into the small, square, courtyard and had made a beeline for him. If he was ever going to confront Ron. He had to do it now, or he'd never have the courage to tell the ginger off, "You're a right foul git, ya know that right?"

"Right, anything else?" Ron said with dry and annoyed sarcasm pointed back at a fuming Harry and a hard glare, but Harry would never know that behind that stern glare, Ron’s heart had sunk to his stomach nearly shattering. 

_'I done messed up this time… Maybe I should have talked to Aunt Emma, so I could have fixed this.'_

"Yeah… Sta-stay away from me." 

_'Never mind, guess I can't fix it this time… Where the bloody hell is Draco.'_

But all Ron wanted to do was get the hell out of everyone's view, so he could ball his eyes out. He'd just lost his best friend.

Shoving passed Harry, who looked as if he'd just had his intestines ripped out and cooked in front of him, Ron quickly walked out of the courtyard with Seamus running after him.

Harry sighed, feeling defeated, he'd done what he'd planned for the day; warned Viktor, Fleur and Cedric, and had told off Ron, though he had a sinking feeling he'd been the one in the worst wrong to have done it the way he had, because in him doing what he'd said, Harry Potter had lost not only his best friend, but the very first friend he had ever made when he'd attended Hogwarts. A friend that had never abandoned him. Which was what made this year the worst year as he knew of so far. Because a school year without Ron Weasley was like being a powerless wizard stranded on an island and no wand, nor broom. Harry felt as if he had lost everything. And it only got worse, for about a few seconds.

Finn Malfoy shouted out across the courtyard after Harry, "My uncle and I have a beat you know, on how long you'll last in this blasted Tournament. I thinks he's wrong though, I don't think you'll last five." Finn laughed out, he had never expected Harry to turn physical, that was usually Draco, and he'd thought the boy would have been an easy target with Draco in detention, something Finn had set the trap for himself and Draco had fallen for it perfectly. Then there was Ron and the rest of the little gang. Hermione was still angry with him and Lavender had no idea what to do so she stuck near Ginny, Hermione and Neville most of the time.

That left Emma and Sirius, something he had taken care of perfectly himself. A touch of the Weasley twins' little tricks he'd modified. Finn had slipped a small dissolvable trick into her tea when no one had been looking during the celebration and she was still sick, bed ridden. He'd overheard Pomfrey and a terrifying Professor Blue. In one swoop Finn had not only gotten rid of Emma but he didn't even have to do anything to Sirius Black, the mangy mutt refused to leave Emma’s side. She had moved from the, likely back to the people she'd tried getting away from before arriving at Hogwarts. It was perfect. Until Harry got in his face with pure rage and violently shoved Finn, this gave Finn a new fear, no matter how small of one it was, that Draco had shown him a few things. Meaning Finn would likely get his ass kicked shortly if Harry threw a punch, and he knew very well that as untrained as Harry was, he still had a mean right hook.

"I don't give a damn what you or your uncle say or think. He's vile and cruel… And you are pathetic!"

"Pathetic? Why you retched inbred!" Finn shouted, reaching for his wand, Finn had every intention of cursing Harry.

Unfortunately, he'd found himself transfigured into a ferret and being shoved down a screaming Crabbe's pants. As soon as McGonagall re-transfigured him back, Finn had been permanently scared, but Finn Malfoy always seemed to have a hard time keeping his mouth shut, "Wait until my Uncle hears of this!" then he'd ran, Mad-Eye had moved faster than he'd thought and had nearly had a hold of him, Finn was just glad he was faster than the old fool and ran for his life nearly peeing his pants.

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**Translation** **_Comment oses-tu! Laisse-moi aller tout de suite, pervers! = "How dare you! Let me go right away, pervert!"_**

**Translation= _Mademoiselle, trouvez s'il vous plaìt Madame Maxime et venez à mon bureau = "Miss, please find Madam Maxime and come to my office."_**

**Translation= _S'il vous plaît laissez-le, vous avez fait assez.= "Please leave it, you have done enough."_**

**Translation= _Alicia tu vas bien? = "Alicia are you alright?"_**


	28. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 28 **

* * *

Sirius smiled with pure relief as he watched Emma stir from her deep slumber, she'd been asleep for a few days when her fever spiked. Fearful he'd lose her and the babies, he removed her from Hogwarts and took her back to the cabin where he informed a very worried Molly and Andromeda, both still very upset Emma had made a run for it from them. "Oh, thank God you're alright, Love… Molly! Andromeda! She's waking up!" He hadn't meant to shout it as loud as he had, he was just so glad she was waking up.

Harry's task was today, and he knew Harry would really need him and Emma there. Sirius had gotten wind that the first task was the dragon's, and that worried him deeply. But worries set aside he kissed Emma's forehead with excitement, her temperature had reduced nearly 10°, it was great since she was running the high and dangerous temperature of nearly 106°. He had wanted to take her straight to St. Mungo's, but he had a feeling she may not have been safe there for some reason, so the cabin it was.

Molly rushed in with Andromeda on her heels. Sirius was thankful his cousin had healing skills even Emma was envious of. Skills that had saved her life and the lives of the babies. However, he wasn't prepared for the short-term effects of her high temperature and illness was going to cause to her. Due to the tampering Finn had done to one of the twin's sick trick treats, Emma had in fact been infected with the putrid magic he had used himself and turned her very ill.

The side effect was, however, had not only attacked her body, but her mind, slightly scrambling years and events, causing Emma to wake up whimpering, "'Irius, 'ere's Lily?" She could hardly talk. Her body felt like lead and her voice was hard to find, let alone use. She had seen Sirius and had calmed down just a little, but something was wrong, she felt funny and very ill. But what scared her the most was that Sirius looked older, a lot older. 

_'What happened?'_. Unfortunately, her mind had jumped from her third year to her fifth year, then back to her first year, and sadly but finally, sent her to that dreadful and frightful night she had lost everything. "Where is she? Sirius… Sirius, I want my sister…. Oh God the baby! Sirius the baby! Harry? where's Harry! JAMES! LILY!"

Panicking, Sirius pulled her into his arms when she had tried sitting up and nearly cried herself horse, all the while gently shushing her and ran his figure through her hair. Her memories had been scrambled, he hoped this torture would not last long, but it tore him to pieces knowing she was reliving that all over again, "Emma, the babies are fine, Harry is fine…. I'm here. You're safe."

"Where's Lily? Where’s James? … Where are they?" She hadn't gotten an answer from him, he'd told her the rest, but why not her sister and brother-in-law? Deep down Emma knew why, and she knew he couldn't say it…. Because it had been years ago.

Emma's mind continued re-scrambling and descrambling over the next few hours. Sirius was shocked he hadn't lost it by then while poor Molly had to leave the room to cry in the arms and comfort of Andromeda. Molly and Andromeda couldn't watch Emma go through that pain all over again, it had nearly killed them before, it was doing the same again, destroying them both to watch a sweet person as Emma to be tortured like that because some fool wanted to get at her.

Sirius was under the impression Karkaroff had planted the infection in her cup, none of them suspected that a student had been the cause of this. Sirius had nearly lost her once but in the process, he'd lost his unborn child, a child he hadn’t known of then, and lost his freedom for twelve year. He wasn't going to lose anymore.

James and Lily were dead, murdered back in '81. She had been lucky, like her nephew, to have survived. "Why me? Why did I survive? I wasn't, shouldn't have. Sissy even told me herself the curse hit me just like it had him when it rebounded… I should have been destroyed just like him…" She sounded so far away, so numb and lost it finally shattered him to tears, though he didn't sob, Sirius let the hot tears streaming down his face.

"Foxy, what year is this to you?" He had to ask, because the only way he knew he could help her was to know what year her mind was in.

"I- I don't know… there still jumping and my brain feels hot and overheated, so tired… I just want Lily, but I know she's not here, the memory of him killing them is so fresh that I-… I can't- Sirius what's happening? I'm so confused."

His heart shattered with every word. Her emotions had slipped once again, he knew she was going back through the trials of grief all over again and he hated himself for having to tell her she had lost quite a few years. Years of memories he hoped she'd get back once her memories unscrambled, "It's 1994, November 10th… Someone slipped something into your cup at Hogwarts during the celebration after the Triwizard Champions were chosen."

Harry's task would be starting in a few hours, he and Emma hadn't slept but only a few hours, his heart filled with hope and joy when they had woken up together and she recognized him. She had asked hours ago, when her mind jumped backwards, why he looked older than she remembered, _"1977,"_ which meant she was fourteen, maybe fifteen. The year Petunia was married. "Sirius? When's Harry task starting?"

 _'Oh, thank Merlin! It was temporary!'_ Sirius couldn't help it, he grabbed her face and kissed her, trying to be careful of her growing belly, he rolled her into his lap and arms with his charming grin when she giggled, "A few hours, we can connect the Floo network to the fireplace here to get us back to Hogwarts in time for the Task."

"Yeah, let's do that, however, I've been out of it for quite sometimes and I'm finding myself not only very hungry but um, **hungry**." Emma said with a grin.

Sirius could only laugh, his cheeks blushed a tinted pink as he laid back into the bed, "You know you have a way with making something that's completely unrelated to sex sound very dirty." He laughed as their bodies molded to one another.

Grinning wide, Emma leaned forward leaving butterfly kisses over his lips and jaw line, "I have a **very** good teacher." Emma purred seductively.

* * *

**Hogwarts**

Harry paced back and forth of the tent, he was terrified, they all were, and the worst part, Draco had said he couldn't find their Aunt nor Sirius, "pst, Harry? Is that you?"

Confused beyond belief he moved closer to the tent flap near the back, "Hermione?"

"Uh-Huh… The key is to concentrate, after that you just have too... Um," She didn't know how to say he had to go up against a dragon, her stomach was in terrifying knots for her friend.

"Battle the Dragon? Yeah, kind of figured that- ouf." He'd been completely taken aback when Hermione suddenly jumped through the tent folds and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Hermione was terrified he'd get hurt, or worse killed, that was something she knew would devastate them all, worst of all Ron and Draco.

They were frightened apart when a sudden flash came from out of nowhere. To Hermione's horror, Rita Skeeter and photographer both stood before the two of them with wide grins on their ridiculous faces.

"How… Charming, if anything unfortunate happens today, you two may just make the front page." Rita said with little care.

They grinned when Rita's perverted attention turned on Krum as he told her she was not welcomed there, seconds later Hermione found herself latched to Harry in an attempt to stay in the blind spots of the Professor and the others that had decided to grace them with their presence. Dumbledore had been the only one to not notice her at the moment, something she was grateful for, until he did a double take in Harry's direction and asked, "Miss. Granger, what on earth are you doing here?" to say he was shocked he hadn't noticed her there when he walked in, but really he'd been focused on getting the Champions ready for the task at hand, "Right, I should be going, good luck… All of you." And with that she walked out, cheeks blushing with tremendous embarrassment. Her embarrassment floated away when her eyes caught sight of a long-haired redhead walking into the stands with Sirius and Draco, "Emma!"

Finding their seats together Hermione caught Emma and Sirius up to what was going on and Emma found herself a bit disappointed in Ron, she had no idea he'd been jealous of Harry for something he had no control over. Though, when her eyes locked with Ron's she found she wouldn't need to scold him, his eyes held remorse and sadness, but he was still in Red and Black colors, colors that were representing Harry. Smiling warmly to one of her nephews Emma kissed his forehead when he rushed her for a hug, one she returned gladly, "Hello Ron."

"So glad you're alright."

"Me too. I would have hated to have missed this, even though I hate the idea he's even in this thing in the first place." She said dryly.

The task began, Emma and the others cheered for all of the champions and flinched every time they came close to nearly having an arm taken off or getting too close to the dragon. Emma had covered her eyes with her hands when Diggory was sent flying after being hit by the dragon's tail.

Then it was Harry's turn, and her fear set in. Sirius held her in his arms tightly the entire time, everyone smiling and laughing and cheering when he flew off with his broom. She and Hermione screamed with excitement and hugged one another when he came flying back into the ring with the dragon no longer on his tail, "YES! Oh, thank God." And leaned herself into Sirius' arms and warmth from the chilling weather.

Sirius laughed and hugged her tightly, his stomach unknotting, his heart returning back into his chest as he settled his nerves from the terrifying idea Harry may have just been severely hurt or, worst, lost somewhere in the heavy mist that was rolling in.

* * *

**Dumbledore's office**

While the champions where celebrating, Emma had been summoned to Dumbledore's office, a small meeting was to be held, "Do we know what caused your sudden illness my dear?" Barty asked, fully concerned.

Emma shrugged with a shake of her head, she really didn't know, today was the first day she had been fully aware of her actions.

"I don't have a single clue what could have been the cause, all we know is that my tea somehow got spiked with something that Poppy couldn't identify. It happened sometime during the celebration at the champion's choosing. The cup I was using was taken by one of the house elves who took it straight to Madam Pomfrey when they saw something strange in the left-over tea that I was unable to finish."

"So, whatever it was, affected you instantly?" Severus asked curiously, "Maybe I should take a look at that mixture. Was any of it saved and sent to St. Mungo's for testing?"

"Yes, Poppy has a sample in her office trying to figure out the mixture. She said there was something slightly familiar with it but whatever Emma was spiked with was not originally meant to the harm that it caused." Sirius stated.

Emma had stayed quiet for a while, she'd been unconscious for a while herself, so she really wasn't sure what to say to them.

"So, ze person who spiked dear Emma likely took somezing and created zeir own kind of 'poison' so to speak-" Madam Maxime asked, until a sudden gasp of fright left her, the moment a thought entered her mind, ' _the babies!_ ' " **Oh mon, les bébés, vont-ils bien!"**

"Yes, the babies are fine, my cousin was able to localize whatever was in Emma's system. From what Andromeda was able to determine. This unknown substance hadn’t touched the babies." Sirius quickly stated to the worries of the others. Maxime’s sudden spike in fear for the babies vanished instantly. Even Igor, to Emma's and Sirius' shock, looked relieved, which crossed him off the list of their suspects, kind of.

"Severus, if you want to look at the mixture yourself, I'm sure Madam Pomfrey wouldn't mind a second set of eyes to aid her." Dumbledore said, a nod of agreement for himself to Emma, Sirius and Snape who nodded in return and quickly left to get to work.

Due to injuries and needed time to heal, the tournament was held off for a while. This gave McGonagall the time and opportunity to teach her students to dance. The Yule Ball was quickly approaching, and she wanted it to go perfectly.

Draco had been trying to find the girl he'd knocked over and gotten a detention over, wanting to apologize and to see if she was alright, however he couldn't find the little redheaded number anywhere he looked. So, he resorted to 'stalking' Fleur Delacour and her sister, Gabrielle. He felt victorious when he found them with her, but of course, it was in the library. Draco was only interesting in apologizing to her and had a deep concern to see if she was alright since she had been on the brink of tears the last time he’d seen her. He had a sickening feeling that it was not because they fell down the stairs of the school in front of everybody and embarrassed her. No, Draco knew there was something deeper. Something that was causing her deep emotional pain. Now all he had to do was figure out how to approach her without her thinking he was going to 'grope' her again, which he really hadn't meant to, he was just trying to make sure she didn't fly over him or get hurt. However, in the end of it, he'd accidentally grabbed her bottom in the process, which had earned him a nice slap across the face and called a pervert, finally he was given a detention by Professor McGonagall. Another reason he figured it was something other than being embarrassed on her end was because Madam Maxime was not offended in the least, especially when he'd explained himself to the Head Mistress.

However, something had caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Viktor had taken a liking to Hermione and had been spotted by Draco, watching his friend from afar.

Being caught had caused Viktor to blush a shade of pink, his blush had grown to a bit of a darker shade when Draco's brow shot skyward and grinned at the Drumstrang prized student.

Taking a breath of courage, Draco moved towards the red head and cleared his throat a bit timidly, "Um, excuse me, miss?" Draco found, to his embarrassment, that his hands were sweating when her deep blue, sapphire like, eyes glanced at him and was a bit taken aback, she hadn't over reacted at seeing him, instead the girl simply graced him a look of curiosity, **"Puis-je vous aider?"** He would admit that she was very beautiful, what stunned Draco was the fact that he felt no attraction towards her, which shocked him a bit. Though, maybe there would be a reason later on?

"I'm sorry, I'm not very good with my French, but I think I understand that. Um, I just wanted to apologize and try to explain what happened last time we meet, well, the first time we met, and I am embarrassed to say that um… Um well, I did not make the best impression. But I'm mostly here to apologies, so I am sorry, and I hope you'll allow me to explain?" He was hopeful, when he was graced with no response. Nodding after a minute of waiting, he began to leave, "No, please… I'm sorry… I'll listen. I was just surprised you apologized and wanted to try explaining."

 _'Oh wow, I definitely did not see that coming.'_

Stunned as he was he took the opportunity and sat with her, introduced himself, the both of them had ended up speaking for a few hours, laughing and telling one another jokes, then came the heavy when Alicia had asked about family, Draco wasn't going to lie to her about it, there was no need to and she returned the favor.

Draco felt sympathy for her as she explained why she was so riled up that afternoon when they had fallen down the steps. "My Brother was the last family I had left. He was killed a few weeks ago, after we came to Hogwarts, I actually got the news the day we fell down the steps. So, your cousin, Finn, was the one that set that trap then?" She said, a heavy sigh leaving her.

Draco allowed the change in subject. He knew he'd have done the same. With a sigh, Draco nodded rubbing his face from the coming tiredness that was setting in, "Yeah, unfortunately none of us have the proof for the teachers to take action."

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss. Bonnet, it is 9:45, I'd suggest you both head to bed instantly before you both get detentions." The librarian said harshly as she walked by. Though, it seemed they weren't the only one's leaving late, Draco and Alicia smiled and grinned as they watched Hermione and Viktor try to sneak out from their viewpoint, sadly they'd failed.

Alicia smiled when her eyes traveled down to their hands and nudged Draco and whispered to him to look at their hands that were linked together.

This gave Draco the realization that Harry, Ron and himself still didn't have dates to the Yule Ball. He’d been wanting to ask Ginny. However, he wasn't sure how the twins, or Ron, would feel if he did. 

_'Maybe I'll just ask them if they'd be offended if I ask her.'_

"It was wonderful speaking with you Alicia, but I have something I'd like to ask you?"

"Yes?"

"Um, two of my friends and I still don't have dates for the Yule Ball, but I want Harry to be surprised in the morning to find he has a date, would you mind if I asked you to the Yule Ball to attend with Harry? Of course, you can obviously meet him whenever you wish, to give yourself the option. I'm not expecting an answer on his behalf right away, I just, Harry has a nervous thing with asking girls out-"

"And you want to be that awesome best friend and say, 'hey mate, don't worry I have you covered'?" She said with laughter at his slight grin and stunned reaction. She knew she’d be able to surprise this boy from here on out in their lives. It was nice having another friend, a male friend she could possibly see as a brother figure. But the saddest part she had to remind herself of was; a) Draco Malfoy was not Paul. Unfortunately, Draco’s eyes were to close in similarity to say otherwise, it was like Paul was watching her through Draco’s eyes.

Honestly, Draco though she'd be offended he'd asked on behalf of Harry, however he was finding that she was anything but, being all chipper and smiling wide like she was.

"I'll meet him and your other friend Ron tomorrow and give you an answer the day after?"

"Sounds like a plan, thank you for letting me meet you Alicia." Draco smiled and gently kissed her hand. The two said their good nights and went their separate ways. Both were excited about tomorrow, even Harry because Draco had told him he had a new friend he'd like him to meet, "Is it the red head? Did you ask her to the Ball?" Ron asked, grinning playfully at the blond.

Draco shook his head with a faint blush, "No, um, I was actually wondering if you'd be offended if I asked… Um… Man I feel like I'm backstabbing you." He admitted. Ron gave him a concerned look, "What do you mean? You want to ask Hermione?" at that thought, Ron did somewhat feel backstabbed, but he had instantly relaxed when Draco grinned and shook his head vigorously, "No, Merlin no… She's practically my sister Ron… I was, um… I was wanting to ask Ginny."

This threw Ron and Harry both for a loop, "No, God no, ask her. She may be my sister, but if you want to ask her then go for it. Just no funny business got it. Otherwise, Fred, George and I will beat you to a pulp and skin you alive. No handsy business and no perverted moves." Ron clarified, but had begun laughing shortly after.

"Okay, got it. I'll be a full-fledged gentleman as I'll always be to her." He was serious, Draco had it set that he'd never be anything less than a gentleman, or a friend, if she wished it to be so.

* * *

**December 19th, 1994**

As morning came through Draco jumped from his bed and got ready for the day, he was excited to ask Ginny and he was even more ecstatic to introduce Harry to Alicia.

 _'This is going to be a great day. I don't think I've been this excited for a while.'_ But as he jumped from the last three steps from the dorm's stairway, he felt his gut knot and sink to his stomach.

Neville was blushing brightly with an excited Ginny hugging him, "Yes, I'll go to the Ball with you Neville, oh my gosh I can't believe this, I'm so excited!" Her eyes found Draco, her excitement didn't see his hurt as she dashed over to him jumping up and down, “Draco! Guess what Neville just asked me!"

Swallowing his pride, he forced a smile and shook his head like he had no idea what the hell was going on, "What? What did I miss?"

"I'm going to the Yule Ball with Neville!" she screamed and bounded back up the stairs, finding her brothers and Harry, telling them exactly what she had just told Draco, who was silently licking his wounds.

Neville was concerned with the downed look Draco had. Neville had a sick feeling he had been the reason and he really didn't want that, Neville liked not being the target of Draco's mean side and was really liking the friendship they were growing. "Draco? Are you alright? ... You were going to ask Ginny, weren’t you? I can-" Draco stopped Neville with a smiling and sad laugh and shaking his head, "No, it's fine Neville. Really, you were asleep last night when I came back, you didn't know I was going to ask her. Best man won, really don't feel bad, please. It's alright." And it was, Draco had been too late to ask her and Neville had gotten to it before him, fair was fair. Neville Longbottom had won against Draco Malfoy.

"Yo-you sure?" Neville was nervous, he'd actually ended up with something, someone, Draco Malfoy, biggest fan girl club around the school Draco Malfoy, wanted, and that was Ginny Weasley.

"Best man won Neville. Trust me, I'll be alright." He was being honest. He would eventually be alright. Ginny was happy to be going to the Ball and as long as she was excited and happy, he wasn't going to let it bother him. "Hey, I got something to do today, but if you need anything I'll be with Ron and Harry. Just look for us. Okay?"

"Ye-yeah, sure thing… I really am sorry Draco." he really was, Neville was seeing the downed and saddened expression on his new friends face and he hated himself for it, but he was right. Best man won, and Neville had been the best man that won the girl this time around. So, Neville left it at that and nodded, "See you around then?"

"Yeah, see you around. Hey, you still going with us to Hogsmeade later?" Draco asked randomly, they had made plans to check out Hogsmeade that day, a few days ago and the best part of that was Alicia had never been to Hogsmeade and had been wanting to go.

"Y-yeah, I can still make it." Neville was shocked, he had taken the girl Draco had wanted to ask to the Ball and he was still making sure Neville would go with them? Maybe Neville was still being a bit judgmental towards Draco, he still honestly thought Draco was going to come around a corner and pull a hex on him like he had their first year.

Harry and Ron meet Draco out in the Corridors outside the Portal to the Common room, "So, where's she meeting us," Harry asked, really not wanting to bring up the slightly disappointing reality that Ginny had been asked to the Ball already, and it wasn't by Draco. This was going to be a salted subject for a while.

"The courtyard out front, you guys will like her, she's hilarious." Draco said, his excitement returning, but Ron and Harry both knew that it was simply an act, even if he was a bit excited Alicia was still meeting them that morning, they saw his hurt by the previous interaction. The two boys wanted to talk to him about what had happened that morning, they just didn't know how to bring it up to the obviously sulking blonde, so they'd left Draco to the silent walk towards the courtyard. They felt some successes, though, when their eyes landed on a red head who was looking around near the fountain in the courtyard looking for Draco.

Alicia's worried expression had melted away when she had spotted him with two other boys and had reacted with wide smiles and full excitement and waved towards them.

Harry and Ron both watched their sulking friends' expression grow into a smile when he found a smiling, sapphire blue eyed, redhead waving at him and began to rush towards them and throwing her arms around her new friend, "Draco you made it!"

After the terrible morning he'd had, Draco knew he needed a big hug and he was not going to just walk up to Hermione or Lavender and just hug them randomly, well, he may do that to Hermine, but Alicia was already swept up in his arms, both newly made friends hugging one another in a tight hold. "Alicia, I'd like you to meet Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. Harry, Ron, this is Alicia Bonnet. The Beauxbaton student I told you about." Draco said turning a grin to the brightly blushing Harry. He saw both Alicia and Harry's eyes lock and hold one another's eyes in place.

Harry felt his heart skip a few bests. Honestly, he thought he was having a heart attack, due to feeling like his heart was going to explode from his chest as he looked at her smiling face and big blue eyes. His nerves sadly kicked in, making his palms sweat and his knees to want to buckle. _'I think I'm in love.'_

Alicia was in no different position, she had seen Harry from afar and had felt nervous just wanting to speak to him, she couldn't feel her tongue. Words were failing her as she blushed hotter than a hot poker. 

_'I'm in trouble, I can't even talk I'm so nervous!'_

Alicia thought, feeling her heart nearly jump out of her throat. Their eye contact broke when Draco and Ron both cleared their throats at the two staring at one another. This made Harry and Alicia blush deeper with embarrassment settling in their guts, trying to cover it, they both lightly giggled at themselves, "Nice to meet you both, Draco's told me a lot. I'm looking forward to spending the day with you three."

Ron grinned, taking the opportunity to try to be impressive, "Not as much as a pleasure as it is for us to meet you, right Harry?... Harry?"

But Harry was still staring at her, eyes fixated on Alicia. He was meaning to agree with Ron, but those were not the words that left Harry. Instead, the word he spoke next were the words that had changed his future, "Beautiful,"

Alicia had giggled, blushing at Harry’s blunt statement.

Draco felt triumphed, Harry was head over hills and Alicia's eyes hadn't left Harry either, she had carried conversations with all three boys as they showed her around Hogsmeade and the rest of Hogwarts. They had eventually running into Hermione, Lavender and Ginny, who had bragged about Neville asking her to the Ball, but nonetheless the girls enjoyed one another's company. They had made plans to hang out the next day with Alicia offering to help do the girls' hair for the Ball, "I can never do my own hair in pretty ways, but I can do everyone else’s hair just fine." Lavender and Ginny had gone for the offer with great excitement and gratitude, while Hermione smiled to the new redhead and offered her help with her own hair for the Ball.

"Really? Oh, that would be wonderful. I was worried I'd just have to pull it up into a high pony-tail or something, I'm terrible with my own hair." This had started a whole new conversation between the girls as they giggled and laughed together. The boys made the decision to go ahead and say good night to Alicia and the rest of the girls and retreated, leaving Alicia with their three special Gryffindor girls.

* * *

**Translation= _Oh mon, les bébés, vont-ils bien! = "Oh my, are the babies good!"_**

**_Translation= Puis-je vous aider? = "May I help you?"_ **


	29. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 29 **

* * *

It was only a few days until the Yule Balls date, and Alicia was beginning to think Harry would never ask her, but his shaking hands and blushing face told her otherwise.

Harry had asked Alicia that afternoon to meet him by the lake. All though, the worst part of her previous, and current, situation of being on her own now, was that she didn't even have a dress. With her only remaining relative recently deceased she had no one to help her, she didn't even have access to their family vault to get money to even look for a dress. She would have honestly been more than happy to use one of her mother's evening gowns, had their home not been burned to the ground. Nothing was spared, not even her brother's body. Alicia truly had nothing left. Which was why her nerves were so shaken, if she was asked, would she have to say no because she had nothing to go in? Or say yes and use her uniform? She would if she had to, because she really wanted to go, with Harry that was.

Her heart was racing, and she could see Harry was having a problem finding his words, just as he had found his voice, they were interrupted by an excited Cedric who was rushing their way, "Alicia, can I- oh sorry Harry, um, I'll talk to later Alicia." Cedric said with a grin, he knew exactly why they were out there the second he saw Harry's courage deflate a bit, poor kid probably thought he'd charged down quickly to ask the young red head before he had the chance, which was never going to be the case.

"Of course, Cedric, hey did you ask Cho yet?" She hadn't meant to start a conversation, but she had been so excited when she caught him practicing with a book in the very back of the library nearly two weeks ago and had asked him why he was trying to ask the book to the ball when he should be asking the girl he wanted to ask, her answer came in the form of a huge smile, "Really? She said yes? Cedric, that's great!"

"That's actually what I wanted to tell you, but Harry seems as if he's trying to ask you something, so I'll catch up with you both later then. With some hope of some good news?" Cedric said, grinning between the two and winked at Harry, his usual way of silently saying, _"Good luck"_ , something Harry greatly appreciated and took a deep, silent, breath into his lungs to regain the lost courage, though he'd lost his tongue the second Alicia turned back to him, blue eyes looking up at him through her long-slanted bangs that could blend right into her long red hair. Her long lashes fluttering didn't help his heart from nearly jumping up from his throat, in fact, it was kind of making her heart to want to burst from his chest.

"So, you wanted to talk to me, or did you want to ask me something?" Alicia giggled out.

' _Please ask me,_ ' her hope overflowing she thought she'd have a heart attack.

"Uh, um… Wou-would you um… Would you go to the ball with me?" he quickly said, truthfully he'd never thought she'd actually understand him, however the second the words left him she had smiled wider than he'd ever seen a girl smile before and jumped into his arms with a loud, "YES!"

Draco let a long sigh leave him as he sat on the couch in front of the fireplace with Hermione, Lavender, and to his breaking heart, Ginny Weasley. All three girls giggling about their dresses and how they should do their hair. But his attention was pulled to the portal when Harry and Neville walked in with a bunch of girls around them, all of whom were helping Ron try to walk.

Ron looked sickly pale and just near vomiting or fainting. This sent the four friends into a frenzy of fright, worst of all, Hermione, "Ron? Oh my God, what happened?" she asked, rushing to him just in time to catch their friend as his legs buckled from under him due to trying to sit down on one of the foot stoles and failed.

"He asked Fleur Delacour out," Hannah, from Hufflepuff, said. She'd been standing only two feet from Ron and Harry talking with Neville and a few others when the redhead had shouted across the courtyard to the Beauxbaton blonde, who had been so stunned from someone screaming at her she had nearly fallen on her bum from tripping over her own two feet and trying to look around all at once looking a bit frightened for whoever the voice had left.

Thankfully for Ron, Hannah, Neville and Harry had quickly rushed the paling and half spiritually dead boy from the courtyard as fast as they could, trying to help him from having an embarrassing fainting session to draw even more attention than he'd already caused. However, Hermione's reaction was what Hannah and Harry had nearly chuckled over, "She said no of course," her tone wasn't offensive, merely a stutter of shock and hope that the blonde had truly said no. But with the shake of Ron's head had the young genius Witch covering her mouth, almost in horror, "She said yes?"

"Don't b-be silly, 'Mione. She didn't even have a chance to answer. There she was, just walking, you know how much I like it when they walk Draco," Ron said looking up at his friend, who just stood there in utter shock and truly trying not to laugh at his panicked and sick friend, "Bu-but it just sort of… Slipped out?"

"Actually, you sort of screamed at her, it was a bit frightening really." Hannah stated, still doing her best to not laugh. She was being honest though. When the words left Ron, it had nearly sent her and many others jumping halfway out of their skins!

"Well, what did you do?" Lavender asked with shock, Hermione had confided in her that she had only said yes to go with Viktor because Ron had failed to ask her before someone else had, and now the young girl was excited to be expanding her options in a different direction. However, her feelings for Ron were not leaving and had not changed one bit. Which was a bit aggravating to Hermione, which Lavender completely understood because she herself was crushing hard on Seamus, however he seemed to never really take notice of her, aggravating Lavender almost as much as Hermione was aggravated in her emotions from not changing.

Ron's pale and sick expression turned on her, his face full of fear and utter embarrassment, "What else! I tried to run for it! Ha-Harry and Hannah had to drag me up here really! I think I'm gonna be sick." And that he did, but thankfully not before Seamus and Dean had rushed for the small wastebasket near them and tossed it towards Draco, who'd quickly put the bin in front of Ron just as his stomach began to empty itself of their noon lunch.

They only had two, maybe three, days to the Ball and Draco still didn't have a date, neither did Ron, then it hit him, "Jamie, did you ask Alicia?"

This changed the subject quickly, leaving everyone in the room to hear this, they gave Harry a grin as they all waited with excitement.

Harry could only blush and grin, nodding his head.

"Well, what did she say!" Ginny squealed with excitement.

"She said yes," this sent everyone in cheers and shouts. Just as they did, the Patil twins walked by, blushing and glancing at Draco with gentle giggles, "Hi Draco," and they both headed up the steps towards the girl's dorm room just as a thought hit him and he instantly took off after them, "Hey,"

* * *

** That Night **

Alicia was rushing around looking for Madame Maxime, she had no idea what to do and she had always been able to confide in her Head Mistress, but when she found the Beaxbaton Headmistress Alicia found her laughing and talking with a heavily pregnant women that mesmerized her. She looked almost like Alicia, at least to the young Witch's thought, mainly due to the woman's long red hair and pale skin, the few differences were the fact that the woman was obviously older, and very pregnant. Her hair was in waves, a darker red than Alicia's. What shocked the young Sapphire eyed Witch was the older redheads deep emerald eyes and an oval shaped face and the few freckles. Whereas Alicia's face shape was heart shaped and no freckles.

**"Alicia, tout va bien?"** Maxime was graced with no reply as her young pupil stared wide eyed at Emma, who was simply looking at Alicia like she was curious as to why the girl was staring at her, **"Alicia Bonnet! C'est impoli de regarder!"**

Having been scolded for her rudeness, Alicia's attention was shaken from the pregnant woman and to her Head Mistress, Alicia’s worry coming back to her as to why she was seeking her Mistress, "Madame Maxime, I was just asked to the Ball, but I have nothing. With my home gone I can't even look forward to using one of my mother's dresses nor one of my own. I don't know what to do."

"Oh my, zat is a **problème** ," Maxime hadn't thought about that, she had taken it upon herself to speak with the Ministry of Magic in France to try to get a tuition set up for Alicia, so she could finish schooling with Beauxbaton Academy, it wasn't cheap, but Maxime enjoyed having her students there and watching them finish their education. Truthfully, Maxime had never really thought of that for Alicia, because in the back of her mind she though deep down that her family vault would have been to her use for needed things, like some new clothes since everything she hadn't packed had been destroyed in a house fire. It never occurred to the Head Mistress that the young girl wouldn't be able to gain access to her family's money, unless there was none, or Alicia was not allowed to have access to the money until she was seventeen, and she was merely thirteen years old.

Their saving grace came in the form of Emma, who was smiling wide, meaning she had an idea, "I think I may be able to help with that… Alicia, would you or your Head Mistress mind if I asked you a few personal questions?"

"Of course, not Madame, but if you don't mind, may I ask what kind of personal questions they are?"

"Measurements mostly, however, I'm gaining the since that something terrible has recently happened? I'm nosy really, but would you be offended if I asked what happened?" and the story began. Maxime had allowed Alicia to give the okay and her Head Mistress and went ahead and explained the situation to her new friend, "Her brozer was murdered in zeir home. Everzing was burned to ze ground, nozing was spared. Not even Paul's body. Ze dear boy was ze only family Alicia had left. Her parents were killed in an unfortunate accident when she was six. Paul took up ze responsibility of raising her. He worked hard to graduate from his school early, which zey allowed of course. He was fifteen when he graduated and began working for ze Ministry of Magic in France. Smart boy, always proud of Alicia."

Emma took the clear impression that Maxime had gotten to know Paul Bonnet and admired him for what he did for his sister. This broke Emma's heart. The young Witch truly was alone with no one to help her. Maxime seemed to have her hands tied with helping the girl, Beauxbaton Academy probably had limitations as to how far, and personal, their Head Mistress's can allow themselves to help their students, which was a down-fall for Alicia, or anyone else in a similar situation.

"So, she's being given to the Muggles Foster care? What happened to the Foster system for children that were born into the magical community or already in a school of Witchcraft and wizardry? And how are they positive he was killed by someone?" Yes, Emma was confused.

"All of the homes are currently filled, and since my family's vault is sealed from me, if there is any money left in there, I have nothing. And regarding the knowledge as to the attack, one of the neighbors up the hill said they watched a group of people just appear in clouds of smoke, raided the home then set fire to it and treated it as if it just a casual bonfire. Our neighbors had no idea Paul was inside." Alicia clarified.

Both Maxime and Emma wondered why Alicia was under the impression she'd made the comment of the money possibly being gone. However, Emma decided to leave that to Madame Maxime's concern and the Ministry of Magic of France, but the description Alicia was giving Emma regarding the multiple culprit's arrival did sound a bit familiar to her. There were only a few groups Emma knew firsthand that could travel in puffs of smoke, and that was dark wizards and Death Eaters, "Come along, lets get you fitted. Maxime, how about we fit you for your dress too while we're at it."

"My dress? I did not know I was to be fitted for a new dress. But I do love new fashions. Let's go." Maxime was beyond excited, not only was Alicia being gifted a gown from Emma, the owner and designer of Rose-n-Lily, but she too was being gifted and fitted for her own dress. This excited Maxime.

Alicia was stunned, Emma had informed the young girl and Maxime that her current Model for her lines evening gowns for young women was out sick and she was already pushing the release date for the photos to start mass marketing out to her own stores and a few others, "We'll be in the studio for two days just get the photo-shoot finished and Sarah is just like me, too much attention and she drains with no desire to smile one bit. Now, you're the perfect size for the gowns, minus the height, but we have small stand we can put you on to give the dresses the length, the shorter dresses we won't need to use the stand at all, they'd be perfect and she's getting married in three weeks and we haven't found a replacement model to take her place, yet."

"Emma, **suggérez-vous Alicia être votre modèle?** " Maxime asked stunned, she wasn't sure if she could allow this, and that worried her, Emma was willing to pay Alicia the money for doing this and willing to allow her to choose any dress she wished for the Ball and to keep it as a gift.

"Yes, I have not been able to find anyone that can pull off those dresses. I'd have done it myself however not only am I pregnant but when I'm in perfect shape I'm still a little bigger than Sarah, that and the dresses were fitted to her body style. Alicia has that young adolescent athletic body that would fit the dresses perfectly like Sarah, we can either pin the bottom of the dresses with simple ease or use the stand like I said. Again, I'd pay her for the help, it gives her the opportunity to put that money aside for herself. What do you think? Now, this is up to both you and Madame Maxime, she is your Head Mistress." Emma explained.

"Yes, I agree. I need money for when I leave for the summer-" 

"Non!" Maxime instantly sputtered out, she had had it, she was not going to allow one of her students to live alone at such a young age, this was her last straw. If she had to resigned as Head Mistress then so be it, though she doubted they would demand her to do such a thing, **"Tu resteras avec moi, je ne permettrai pas à un de mes élèves de vivre seul et sans abri, Alicia Bonnet.** But you may assist Emma in her need for a model, I do love your line."

It was finalized, but Emma couldn't contain her pinked blush at Maxime praise, "Aw, Thank you. Well, first find you that special dress for the Ball, then after the Holidays we can focus on that shoot, how's that sound?"

"Sounds wonderful," Alicia was excited, Madame Maxime was willing to shelter her, take her into her home so she wasn't on her own. She couldn't stop smiling the entire night and neither of the three slept that night. They had taken the carriage to Emma's Studio, and then proceeded to search for that special dress for the young Witch, and her eyes continued to favor a rather simple, yet elegant, cap-sleeved and floor-length, pastel blue empire high waist Chiffon and silk dress. A v-line, crisscross bust and an opened back in ‘v’ dip with a dark blue ribbon stitched just under the bust that tied around in the back below the shoulder blades. This small addition to the dress gave the dresses back some character and added to the beauty. Alicia stood in front of the full-length mirror in awe, she knew it was her, nothing but the dress was fixed on her, hair and make-up were absent, and she could still barely believe she was in a dress that was gorgeous yet simple, something she loved about outfits, "It's perfect."

Maxime smiled with a gasp of awe as she looked at her lovely student, "Tu es magnifique Alicia."

Alicia blushed, giggling at the adoration she herself was giving the image that was looking back at her, "Merci Madame Maxime. Emma, you're amazing, I don't know how I'll ever pay you back."

"By enjoying the dress and the Ball. Now, let's make sure we don't need to do any quick fixes." Emma moved about looking at the length and checking to see how comfortably the dress fit, they were all so very happy that no fixes or changes were needed to the gown. "Now, how about we pack up the dress and get some sleep."

And by their yawns Emma knew they'd agree, gathering up the two new gowns and headed back to the school where the staff and Hagrid were setting up for the Yule Ball.

Christmas was nearly there, and Emma was excited, Sirius had agreed to attend and her and Mellena would both be showing their baby bumps, Emma now only had two months until she was due and she couldn't wait to see and hold her two bundles.

* * *

** The Yule Ball- Christmas Eve Night 1994 **

The Yule Ball was astonishing, everyone was impressed, the walls were covered in what looked like Silver ice, Christmas trees were set up and covered in snow, with ice stands holding lanterns. Tables around the room were filled with food and punch. It was truly magnificent.

McGonagall was rushing around looking for all of the Champions, Harry was the only one missing. He was standing outside the doors of the great Hall with Ron and Draco looking for Hermione, and their dates, "Have you seen Hermione at all?" Draco asked looking around. He hadn't seen their friend all day and it was literally 6 at night Christmas Eve already. They found Cedric and Cho shaking everyone's hand as the others walked into the Great Hall, but still no Hermione, even Alicia had yet to show.

"No, Lavender and Ginny said she was still up in the Girls Dormitory with Alicia finishing up their hair and make-up." Harry said looking around a bit worried, "Draco! Ron!" Padam and Parvati smiled rushing up to the three boys, Padam smiled big and wide as she hugged Draco. Though, Parvati's smile slightly faltered she had trying to continue smiling either way, "Well, don't you look… Dashing, I'm so excited about tonight." Parvati said, even though she was a bit shocked at how much ruffles Ron's dress robes had she was just glad someone was taking her to the Ball.

Ron smiled a bit, he was still a bit nervous with dancing with a girl, being fourteen didn't mean much of anything to some people, and Ron had wobbly nerves as it was. Yet, as the group conversed, Padam and Parvati's eyes caught two girls holding one another's hands and blushing rather red as they giggled.

Krum had seen them, but his eyes never left Hermione as his mind only thought of one word that could describe the blushing girl in her lace and silk blue dress, _'Beautiful'_. Everyone's eyes were bouncing back and forth between Hermione and Alicia as the two girls held onto one another for support.

**Flashback - girls dorm room**

_Hermione had told Alicia she wasn't very lucky with shoes, namely high heels, and that her mum had accidentally sent her high heels she had gotten out of a magazine, a picture of short, silver heels. Unfortunately, when they had gotten to Hermione with the dress, the shoes were tall heels, and blue, which had caused Hermione to panic a little. 100% reason for her panic, was because of the height of the heels and had not been so lucky the past few days when she tried breaking them in to try to dance in, she had nearly sprained her ankle in the process, "Had Seamus not been in the Lounge room helping me practice, I'd have had to crawl to Madam Pomfrey for my ankle."_

_With that being said, Alicia had shown the fearful, and very nervous, Gryffindor friend her own silver shoes sporting a shorter heel and a pair of blue short heels Emma had handed Alicia telling her she could match the dress with either pare. Both girls were ecstatic when Hermione found that the blue heels fit her like a glove. Alicia smiled and gently laughed at the huge hopeful smile Hermione had given her, "Go ahead, I really don't want to have either of us falling down the steps, I've done that already and it is very painful. That and I don't think either of us want to hurt our ankles with those tall heels as we dance or try to walk." She had been gifted with a tight hug from the excited Gryffindor, "Thank you Ally."_

_Alicia giggled, she'd never been given a nickname before, except maybe by her brother, Paul, but she couldn't bring herself to let anyone know the name, it was too painful to think of their sibling nicknames, let alone to use them. Alicia hugged Hermione back, "Anything for my dear friend."_

"They're beautiful." Parvati whispered, both sisters looked in awe. This had everyone turning to see what the two girls were staring at and Harry's breath was taken away, he couldn't breathe, but he could still speak, "Yeah, she is." His eyes had seen Hermione, he thought they were both beautiful, however his eyes stayed focused on Alicia, both girls smiling and blushing as they walked down the steps towards their dates.

Hermione and Alicia had both hugged one another, Krum had kissed Hermione's hand then Alicia's "You both are lovely."

Alicia had found herself blushing a bit with the thought of Hermione being right, his accent was handsome, but she had her own handsome date to get too, and he was only ten feet from her, "Thank you Viktor. You both have a wonderful night."

"Good luck, Ally." Hermione giggled as her and Viktor walked away and past the boys. Ron was looking like a dead fish. 

_'I don't believe_ _this_.' Ron thought bitterly as he watched Hermione walked off into the Great Hall.

Draco's own jaw was hanging nearly off its hinges, _'Wow,'_

"Hey," Alicia said blushing. Hermione had done a half up half down look with loose waves and curls with a few forget me not's lacing through her red hair, the flowers had been Lavender's idea. And to both girls’ shock, the flowers looked stunning against her hair.

"Hi, you-you look, wow… You look beautiful." Harry stuttered, he could barely find his words, but he was glad he'd been able to at least tell her she looked beautiful.

"Oh, there you are Mr. Potter. Are you ready?" McGonagall asked, she seemed fidgety and nervous, but Harry and the others were confused as to what the Professor was talking about.

Harry looked between Minerva and Alicia with fright, what did she mean, "Ready? Professor?"

"To dance, of course! It is tradition that the three, well in this case, four champions are the first to dance, to lead us…. Surely I told you that?" Minerva asked with fright, in her rattled nerves she had begun to fiddle with her hat and bits of loose pieces leaving her bun. At Harry’s frightened look and shake of his head, Minerva’s nerves rose by five times, "Oh, well now you know. Oh, hello Mr. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy. Um," Minerva looked shocked at Ron's dress robes in confusion and wonder, "Um, as-as for you two, you may both proceed into the Great Hall with Miss Patil and, um... Miss Patil. Good luck, Oh! There you are, Mr. Diggory!" and she was off, yet again.

"It's alright Harry, don't panic, you'll be fine. Trust me?" Alicia said grabbing his hand and gently squeezed for encouragement.

As the Ball moved on, Emma had watched in the beginning with a wide smile as her eyes caught sight of Harry, his figures laced with none other, Alicia Bonnet. "Oh, my goodness…" she said with full happiness and shock. She never had asked Alicia who she was going to the Ball with and now she was finding that the young red-haired Witch was going with her nephew. Emma hadn't noticed Sirius walk up behind her.

"What?" he asked, kissing Emma's cheek, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. His eyes landing on Harry and the cute little number he was currently dancing with made him grinned and giggle into her neck, "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Emma sadly chuckled as she took in the sight completely, her green emerald eyes misting over a little, "Yeah, Lily and James," Hearing her sorrow Sirius's arms tightened around her a bit more as he held her close to him, kissing her temple a few times in comfort, "Emma?"

With a calming sigh to try to compose herself, Emma gave Sirius her attention, her eyes still trained on Harry dancing Alicia, "Hm?" Emma was proud of everything he'd accomplished. Scared, but proud he had accomplished as much as he had and taken the Tournament like a strong, growing young man, she knew he was and would become. Emma just hated the idea of him growing up so fast it scared her even more.

"I know I asked you years ago, but I want to ask again. Marry me?"

This allowed her a happy reason in the currently situation as her mind traveled down memory lane. She turned in his arms, a tear rolled from the corner of her left eye, a wide smile on her face and she kissed him, "Yes. Sirius Orion Black, forever and Always will I say yes to marrying you." Everyone began to join the Champions as they danced.

Harry had spun a gigging Alicia around towards Emma and Sirius stopping the two in their spinning for a moment to introduce Alicia. Sirius had smiled as he usually did and kissed her knuckles and said hello, "And my Aunt, Emma Evans, practically my mum really." He laughed a bit nervously, he finally said it, and it felt great, even if Emma wasn't his birth mother, Emma was just as good as one to him, almost like Molly was to him. Though, deep down he wished he could look at his real mum, Lily, and tell her he loved her and call her mum, but he'd never get the chance and that was what hurt the most.

"Wait, Emma is your mother?" Alicia asked in shock, this confused both Sirius and Harry, but relaxed the second Emma giggled, "Kind of, yes. His birth mother was my sister. I've looked after him like both my child and my nephew, since his second year in school. I never did ask who you were going with Alicia. That is my fault, but I'm glad it turned out to be my nephew, or in this case, my son…”

It was then that Alicia put two and two together and realization set in, "Evans? Oh Merlin, I am so ridiculous, Lily Potter was your sister, his mother… Potter. mea-meaning the boy who… oh my gosh-" Harry couldn't help himself, he started giggling at Alicia's cute rambling and gently pulled her into his arms laughing as she hid her blushing rose red cheeks into his chest as they glided across the floor. Alicia's reaction to finding out who Harry actually was, was not only cute but something the three hadn't seen in a while. Alicia had liked Harry and was excited to be going to the Yule Ball with him even before she knew he was the famous boy who lived. She had adored Emma the moment she set eyes on her and even more appreciated her after Emma allowed her to pick a dress and with a gracious heart, allowed Alicia to keep said dress.

"You've met Alicia already?" Sirius asked her.

"One of Maxime's girls, she didn't have a dress, so we made a proposition."

Sirius grinned, he knew exactly what she meant, "... Sarah... You asked Alicia to Model the Teen line of gowns and casual line for you while Sarah is out sick and on her honeymoon. You are amazingly smart, Emma Evans."

"Yes, I am, and Sirius?" Emma couldn't help the grin that spread across her lips as she pecked his own lips a few times, "Yes Love?"

"I think we need to change that 'Evans' to 'Black' soon." Emma stated, and found herself very happy with his grinning reaction to her words.

Sirius chuckled with a smile as he pulled his pregnant wife-to-be into his arms, spinning her carefully, "Whenever you wish it to be done, Wife."

"As soon as possible, Husband." The only downfall to the wedding was that Emma had no idea who could walk her down the Aisle, and it stung at the thought that her father was not able to be there, and even more so to realize that Lily nor James could attend either in person. James had told her at some point that he'd be honored to walk her down to Sirius, and she had held that thought so close to her heart, a hope that was shattered when her family had been murdered right before her.

"I have to admit I feel terribly for just now realizing this, but… Where's Klay?"

"I have no idea honestly. We can't find him anywhere and Holly is still in the cottage on the grounds here in Hogsmeade with no word. She said she hasn't seen him since 1990 after their youngest was born. We're still looking for him though. Unfortunately, we haven't heard any word yet."

"That's strange… but, for tonight, how about we just forget about everything and everyone." Sirius asked, kissing her forehead, "How does home sound?"

"Home sounds wonderful," Emma sighed into his white button up dress shirt. She had to hand it to him, he looked very handsome that night in black dress pants and red waistcoat embroidered with a classic black design of plants and swirls and a black blazer coat. But she was tired and all she wanted to do was curled up in his arms where she knew she was safe.

The Ball went on like none other, Hermione, Krum and Alicia and Harry danced their hearts away. Both couples laughing together and having fun while Draco and Ron both sat off in the distance, Ron had barely danced with Parvati, who was understandably sulking, Draco had danced a few dances with Padam but had eventually gotten tired of watching Neville dance with Ginny. A sight that continued to break his heart. Padam had caught onto this and asked what happened, Draco had simply shrugged and explained Neville had already asked Ginny, "So, I was the last choice?"

A bit offended and worried Padam would think badly on the reason why he asked her, Draco felt terrible she had even come up with that hurtful conclusion, one that wasn't true, and he was going to clear that up. He saw the hurt and sadness that was floating behind her eyes, and that in general hurt him. He hadn't meant for her, or her sister, to feel like neither boy had enjoyed their time with them. Well, Draco at least enjoyed his time with the twin sisters, "That wasn't why I asked you Padam, I asked you because I didn't want to come alone, I just can't seem to get rid of that feeling of jealousy, I don't like being jealous of my friends."

"May I have this dance?" A Drumstrang boy had asked Padam, a wide smile and a blush heavily placed, Padam seemed to look between him and Draco, unsure of what to say, "Yes, she'd love to." Draco said with a smile, kissed her cheek and thanked her for coming to the Ball with him, "Go, have fun."

And she did, Padam took the offered hand with a smile at Draco and kissed the top of his head in thanks and walked off to the dance floor with the boy and began dancing.

"May I have your arm?" another boy from Drumstrang asked Parvati, "Arm, leg? I'm yours." She said swiftly taking his hand and rushed out to the dance floor with him. However, the night was about to take a turn for the worst. Krum and Harry excused themselves and Alicia took the opportunity to speak with a few of her fellow Beauxbaton classmates, Lavender and Ginny while Hermione moved off to Draco and Ron, only to return looking a bit put out with a drink in hand. Harry hadn't returned yet and Alicia was beginning to worry.

Excessing herself to go looking for him, but upon finding him, Harry quickly covered a hand over her mouth from making any noise and they both listened in on Severus Snape and Igor Karkaroff's conversation with full confusion, for Alicia. But Harry was not liking the way it sounded.

Returning inside, Harry explained to her to not worry, that he just really didn't want them to get a detention and that he himself had no idea what they had discussed, he didn't want to risk Alicia being caught in the middle. "I'll see you in the morning then?" She asked walking back inside and kissed his cheek after he nodded "Yeah, definitely. Courtyard, right?"

"Yes. Courtyard, tomorrow after-" Alicia was interrupted, and rather frightened, when a sudden shout from Hermione came towards them, "Where have you two been! Never mind that off to bed…" She cried. The moment Alicia had seen the girls tear-stricken face she grew worried. Hermione Granger was in tears and Alicia was at a loss as to what had caused this.

"They get scary as they get older." Ron said walking up the steps with a confused Harry, but Alicia had caught on a bit fast, though she still had no idea why Hermione was upset and what Ron had to play in it.

Draco looked as though he was about to smack Ron upside the head, "OUCH! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!"

"Being an idiot," Draco grumbled back.

_'Never mind,'_ Alicia thought, and then decided to take action with Hermione as she stormed after the boys, who sprinted into actin themselves to get farther up the steps away from her as she shouted after Ron, "Ron, you've spoiled everything!"

"What was that all about?" Harry asked the two boys heading back up to Gryffindor Tower and the conversation the boys had started was drowned out, thankfully for the girls.

Alicia quickly rushed to her new friends' side as Hermione sat on the steps, slipping off her shoes and began crying into her knees, "Hermione, what happened?" and did she ever get an ear full from the crying girl, "Oh dear, well. It's been about thirty minutes, let's' get you up to bed, shall we?"

But that night as about to become very terrifying for two family members who had no idea that they were connected in a deeper way to the darkness that was coming for them. It was only a matter of when, where and who was going to die this time.

_Both walked into the Riddle's house, Emma through the front, Harry through the back. Both with a look of confusion when the two found one another walking up the same steps to the top of the stairs. They knew something was up there, but they didn't know why they were going up. Curiosity maybe? But if it was curiosity, then it was about to get them killed._

_However, the voice that came through the door was frightening, Emma knew that voice, even if he was diminished into merely nothing, she'd never forget a voice like his. One that would haunt you forever, "Ah, dear Harry, and look. Our dear, precious Emma. How's Gabrielle? Yes, I know she's still alive, married to Severus I believe. Those twins are rather beautiful. Even I, as cold and cruel, can take in the sight and admire pure beauty. However, maybe I shall reunite you with you dearly departed family. You're more a nuisance than Gabrielle, even that mud-blood sister of yours!" He raged on as the large Python coiled itself around the carpet of the fireplace, seeking warmth as its Master continued, "Please, do tell that sister of yours “Hello” for me_ ," _he laughed, a sudden flash of green light blinded her and Harry, a scream choking Emma, locked in her throat and frozen in place. She couldn't move, even if she did now, she wouldn't move fast enough._

_In a panic Harry's body moved all its own before he even knew what he was doing and screaming with fear, "NO!" All Harry thought of was the fact that his Aunt had twins in her belly, his cousins, siblings if he dared to say. Emma had done so much for him, she was practically a mother to him, like Molly had been and still was to him. He never knew his real mother and father but loved them as much as he would have had they lived. However, he had the understanding that had Lily and James lived he'd still put himself between that spell and Emma or Lily, even Molly, with the thought of protecting a mother. His mother._

_Every son was protective of his mum, every nephew was protective of his aunt, and Emma was both to him in his heart and mind, even though he knew the difference, he'd caught himself several times before accidentally calling her 'mum' on a few occasions, but he had finally said it that night at the Ball and it felt wonderful to say it. He wanted to protect what family he had left._

_Harry refused to lose anymore. Especially those babies._

_Emma had no breath, but what frightened her the most, what had forced her breath to finally let loose allowing her to scream, was Harry moving in front of her to take the curse, "HARRY!" both had tried protecting the other and both had been hit by the hot spell waking them up instantly with fear._ The heat still upon their skins, it had felt so real, both thought they really were going to die.

With a gasp, and in separate areas of the Castle, both Emma and Harry shot up from their deep sleep drenched in sweat and full of fear gasping for air.

Neville was walking in late, excitement clear on his face, but his excitement faulted the moment he saw the distress on Harry's face, "You okay Harry?" at not getting a response Neville went back to his excitement, "I'm just getting in, me, of all people, that was such fun." He said slowly spinning and humming to the slow music he and Ginny had finished dancing to and fell on his bed falling asleep instantly. This left Harry in worry from his nightmare, this time Emma was in it, his worst fear was losing her and Sirius. Most of all he knew it would almost kill him and Sirius if they lost Emma and the babies. But it felt so real, and that scared him all the more.

Emma panted as she moved from the bed on shaking legs and walked to the bathroom, splashed cold water against her burning face and neck and tried to recollect herself from the nightmare, "Emma? Emma…." Sirius woke up instantly after realizing she wasn't next to him, fear flooded him, "In here," She had nearly jumped out of her skin when Sirius touched her arm in worry. Realizing it was just Sirius, Emma forced herself to take deep breaths, but as she did so, tears rolled down her face, "Emma, what happened?"

She couldn't answer, the tears turned into sobs. She was grateful he held her for the time being and let her cry, until she could tell him, "He's here, he has a plan! Sirius he's after us! I don't know why... Bu-but the babies aren't safe, Harry isn't safe!"

Now he was panicking, "It was just a dream Love. It's alright... Take a breath, it was just a dream." Sirius wasn't sure if he was repeating it like a broken record to comfort her or himself, but nonetheless, Sirius was worried. 

_'I think we need to take this to Dumbledore and Severus.'_ Sirius thought to himself as he held Emma in his arms.

“Nothing’s going to hurt you Love.”

* * *

**Translation- _Alicia, tout va bien? = "Alicia, are you alright?"_**

**Translation _\- C'est impoli de regarder!" = "It's rude to watch,"_ ****It's supposed to be 'it's rude to stare,' however, this was the translation it gave me, so I won't argue with it since I don’t honestly know this lovely language. But like I always say, if you find an error in this, please inform me with the correct phrase and translation so I can change it.

**Translation - _Emma, suggérez-vous Alicia être votre modèle? = "Emma, do you wish to use Alicia as your model?"_**

**Translation - _Non! Tu resteras avec moi, je ne permettrai pas à un de mes élèves de vivre seul et sans abri, Alicia Bonnet = "No! you will stay with me, I will not allow one of my students to live alone and without shelter, Alicia Bonnet."_**

**Translation - _Tu es magnifique Alicia._ = _"You look magnificent Alicia."_**


	30. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 30 **

* * *

**December 25th, 1994**

Harry had met Alicia in the courtyard, they spent as much of their time together before everyone started leaving for the rest of the break, they eventually said their goodbyes and the two went their separate ways for the rest of the Holidays.

Emma and Sirius took the kids to Molly's and Mellena's at the outskirts of Ottery St. Catchpole. Severus had hated telling his wife and kids he couldn't go, kissed each of his children and Mellena's baby bump then his wife, "I love you, you know that, right?" Sev sighed softly against Mellena’s forehead sadly. He couldn’t be seen anywhere with the Order members but at Hogwarts.

"I know, I love you, Severus… No matter what happens. Just stay alive, stay safe?"

"Always, now go." He said sadly, kissing her brow once more and watched his family floo to the Burrow, his heart aching at their absence.

Christmas went as happily as it ever had. Molly was happy to have her children home and ever so happy that Mellena and Emma were both expecting. Fred and George were constantly going around the two women's bellies talking to the babies, making everyone giggle at their goofiness.

Athella had latched onto Fred the moment they were at the Burrow, laughing with excitement, "Horus and I are starting Hogwarts soon!" Ella shouted with pure excitement.

"Yes, you are, how about George and I find something for you two then- Oh, hang on I think I already got something for ya. Here it is." Fred said smiling, pulling a small box from his pocket, "It's from two very special twins you love so much." He grinned, eyeing Mellena and his mum as the little ten-year-old opened the box and found, lying inside nice and neat, a brown leather braided bracelet, a small purple Pearl setting in the center. Smiling at Athella’s excited squeal she hugged Fred, "Thank you, thank you!" and kissed his cheek, dashing off to George, who giggled at the excitement and hugged her back, took the thank you’s and kissed the top of her head and went about showing her a small trick he and Fred did to the bracelet, "See, you just take these two ends like this and just glide your fingers out wards a little, no pulling or stretching needed, just glide, and there, you have a small, nice fitting choker necklace. Want to try it?" George smiled as his eyes bounced between Athella’s excitement and Fred as his twin turned to Horus and gifting her brother his own bracelet; black leather with two gems of green and red at the center of the band on his wrist. The colored gems were representing Gryffindor and Slytherin, a silent symbol of the Snap children’s parents’ houses bound into their children.

"Yes, yes, yes," she said, bouncing with excitement. The twins always did find ways of entertaining her and Horus with the little thing they'd find or make for the Snape twins were always held close to Athella’s and Horus’s hearts, but this was one of Athella’s most favorite gifts.

Molly and the rest of the mothers watched gladly with the interaction, until Mellena's smile fell a bit, she had a bad feeling about something, and it was pulling all the negative thoughts forward. Which was why she taken something with her for Molly and Emma, "Can I... Can I speak with you two for a moment?"

"Is everything alright dear?" Molly asked her, both red haired women were giving one of their dearest friends a concerned look, "Not exactly, but I need to speak with you for a moment. Privately?"

"We can speak in the kitchen," Molly said walking the two into the deserted kitchen worrying over the woman before her and Emma, both women stared at her with confusion. They had a feeling they were not going to like what she was going to say. The sick feeling grew worse when Mellena pulled out an envelope, "What's going on?" Molly asked, they saw the fear and tears brewing as they watched Mellena’s hands shake. Something wasn't right.

"Sev told me everything… I know what he has to do, and I'm scared… He doesn't want the children around him, or with him, if something happens to me, because then they'll be in the line of fire and he doesn't want that. That's why we have both signed this… It's our _Will_ … Molly, I know you have seven children already. I’m sorry I’m asking this of you... But we decided to ask if you'd take the kids if anything did happen… I suggested Emma, but Sev has a point, you're still a target, and as much as he loves you Emma, he feels Molly and Arthur are the safest place."

Molly was frozen with shock, memories of her brother’s coming back to mind at the thought of losing Mellena.

"He’s right… Sev has a point, the safest place they could be is with Molly and Arthur…. But, Mel? What made you think of this?" Emma was not offended at all, because as much as she'd have loved nothing more than to help and taken the Snape children. However, Molly not only has years of experience with her own kids but was truly the safest place for any child with family members a part of the Order.

"I don't know, there's just this, sick feeling that keeps stealing in my stomach, my chest is always tight, it's not heartburn, believe me, I had plenty of that with those two, this is different… Very different. Just, images and flashes of some kind of rocky place, flashes everywhere and I wake up feeling hot, and I've got a pain in my body. I don't like this feeling, I don't like these images, but they haven't gone away... I'm scared." Mellena had finally said it, finally admitted to it, but she couldn’t bring herself to say something like this to Severus because the moment she would mention any of it, he’d have her on full time lock down.

Moving quickly, especially being as heavily pregnant as she was, Emma pulled her now crying friend into her arms, both being careful of their bellies, in an attempt to comfort her distraught friend.

Mellena didn't care anymore, if something was going to happen, she wanted her children somewhere safe, far away from danger, and as safe as Emma could be, she knew Severus was right. The Weasley's were the safest place for their children. "I'll be back in a moment, let me just go find Arthur," Molly said walking past the two hugging women she adored so much.

"Can you just do me one favor Emma?"

"What's that?"

"I don't want to be called Mellena anymore, I want my old name back. Just to hear it for a while?" Sirius was really the only one that still really called her ‘Gabby’ every once and awhile, it was just a habit he had that he never had the chance to really break.

That was an understandable favor, to hear your birth name just for a while, even if nothing happened Emma could at least say her friends given name, "Anything, Gabs." But saying her real name hadn’t exactly help really, for either women as they both silently sobbed into the other, thankfully the two of them had composed themselves when Molly came back with her husband with Sirius hot on their heels, "Good Lord, are you both alright?" Arthur asked with full concern the second he took in both Emma and Mellena’s puffy eyes and rosy cheeks from crying, "Whatever is the matter girls?"

Over the next few minutes Gabby had explained what was going on and without hesitation Arthur took the forms, signed them and handing them over to Molly to sign as well and watched her husband gently pull a crying Gabrielle into his arms to comfort the sobbing woman, "Your children will be safe sweet girl. Don't worry."

"Hey mum- Aunt Mell, are you okay?" Fred asked, looking at the sobbing woman in his father's arms, his eyes glancing down to papers in his mother’s hands. Papers that said, _"Last Will and Testament of Mellena and Severus Snape,"_ with a glance of another form of paper behind it reading _"Custody papers"._ The papers his eyes found began to frighten him, "What's going on?"

"Nothing Fred, just some precautions that are being taken." Molly said, slipping the forms back into the envelope, she wasn't going to say any more than that, but that didn't sate Fred's concern, nor his curiosity.

Sirius watched with calculating eyes, he knew that look, because it was one he and or the rest of the Marauder boys would have when they were planning something.

That night, Sirius sat awake in the kitchen, lights off and envelope laying out in the open, he was waiting for the twins, he knew exactly what they were going to do, what he didn't expect was Harry, Ron and Draco to be with them.

"This way, there it is," A soft whisper came from the darkness, feet gently padding against the floorboards as they walked from the staircase and into the kitchen.

"No, Ron-" George said, trying to stop his brother, but it was too late, two candles on the table lit and illuminated the kitchen space.

The five boys were graced with a grinning Sirius Black, "Hello boys. Now, what are you doing out of bed at this hour."

"We um…" Harry was at a loss for words, there was no way they were going to be able to weasel their way out of this one.

"Give it up Jamie, it's Sirius." Draco sighed, "What's with the Will and Custody papers Sirius?"

_'Well, he certainly knows how to jump to the point. He definitely got that from his mother, well done Sissy.'_ He thought with a grin.

Sighing, Sirius sat forward in his chair he sat, clasping his hands together as he thought very carefully and quickly, "Mellena is scared, that's all. She has this kind of… Intuition, something she's never let control her. However, in this case the images she was seeing are frightening her, she just wants to make sure her children will be safe in the end."

"So, mum and dad really did sign the papers. Athella and Horus are technically theirs now?" George asked with worry.

Sirius took in a deep breath, he really didn't want to think about this, losing Mellena like they had Gabby, even if she really was Gabrielle, they had all seen the change, Mellena was Mellena, even if she was in the body of Gabby, they did in fact bury Gabrielle McKinnon in 1978 with her family in the McKinnon family cemetery. "No, not unless something happens to Mellena,"

"Who’s Gabrielle?" Harry asked abruptly, this really knocked Sirius for a loop because to his knowledge they never said anything about Gabrielle, "How do you know that name?"

"So, she is someone that means something to you and Aunt Emma's? From your past."

"Yes, but why are you asking about her?"

"Is she married to Professor Snape?"

Now Sirius was at a loss for words, her and Severus did not want anyone knowing they were married, and with Harry asking these kinds of questions, they were all likely to figure it out. "Harry, listen to me, these questions all have answers, but I cannot give these answers, not yet at least. Some of us have secrets we don't want you young kids to know just yet. And Gabrielle and her connection with Severus Snape is one of those bigger secrets. You'll find out in time, I promise. But for now, those questions regarding Gabrielle, is going to have to remain unanswered. I'm sorry."

Knowing he'd hit a dead-end, Harry nodded with a defeated sigh, "Okay,"

"All of you should go to bed."

"Night Sirius," a few of the kids said as they walked up the stairs back to their rooms, "Night uncle," Harry said walking up the steps slowly, his head bowed. The nightmare was really bothering him, he couldn't hold it in any longer. Turning on his heels quickly he moved back to Sirius and began sputtering about the nightmare, "I'm scared, Sirius. I've never had a dream like that, with Emma in it… I just… Moved."

He had no idea what to say, it was the exact same dream Emma had that Harry was tell him what happened from his point of view, it was just exactly the same but different entrances and different thoughts running through their heads as it happened. Whereas Emma took it as a warning, Harry took it as a threat and did the only thing a growing and protective nephew would have done. He moved to try to keep his aunt safe, in the end they both got 'killed' in the dream and woke up in a sweat, the burning still there. "Wait, you said your scar burned when you woke up?"

Confused Harry nodded, "Yeah, why?"

"Emma said her body felt like it was on fire, she was hot to the touch-"

"Wai-wait! Mu- I mean, Emma," Harry corrected himself, "Had the same dream?" he was in a panic, his aunt was supposedly having the same dream as him now? _'How is that possible!?'_ But what added to his worry was that he had almost, once again, called her 'mum', even though he had a feeling she really wouldn't care, Harry didn't want to let himself forget that his mum had sacrificed herself to keep him alive, he didn't want to possibly offend the deceased, or cause his Aunt Emma to feel he was replacing Lily with her, because he knew he never would. Even in death, Harry still loved Lily and would always be proud she and James were his parents. However, the want and deep wish to be able to look at his parents and say, _"I love you mum,"_ or, _"Love you dad,"_ was a painful sting in Harry's chest. He had been robbed of that chance with Lily and James. But he was happy they had at least had the year with him as a baby. They could have all been killed before he was born, like his unborn sibling.

"Uh, yeah. It was just a dream though. Look, Harry, you and Emma went through a lot of trauma, even as a baby you still remember it. You are both likely tapping into one another’s fears. She's terrified she'll lose you and these babies like we lost your parents. Just try not to overthink it, okay Harry. You let me do that." Sirius tried smiling at the end, but for once in the last few years, his grin had not reached his eyes.

* * *

**February 13th, 1995**

They had refused Madame Maxime custody of her own student once again; she was in such a distraught. Olympe didn't know what to do, she had ranted her heart break to Hagrid who had a sudden idea, "Emma… Ask Emma what ya can do. She fought for Harry for years and finally won, maybe she can find a way to help ya. Or maybe help find someone that will take Alicia in, you said yerself they're givin' ya only a few more weeks to house her in yer own home Olympe. And we're already back at Hogwarts for the remainder of the year as of last month. She can help ya. Trust me, why don't we go speak to her together. See ri'ht there she is, with Sirius too. Come on," she was glad she'd said something to Hagrid, he may be a bit blind to a few hints she'd tried giving him, but he was sweet, kindhearted and thought of others before himself.

"Emma, Sirius… Can we speak with ya fer a moment?" Hagrid called out to the couple walking by, their hearts swelled with hope when the two stopped and smiled at them, "Of course Hagrid, is everything alright? Olympe, are you alright?" Emma had noticed she looked as if she'd had a moment to cry a while ago.

"No, I am afraid not, Emma. Zey will not allow me to care for Alicia, I 'ave been refused several times since ze beginning of January. I cannot let one of my pupils not to have anywhere to go but an orphanage." Maxime cried again. She truly was at a loss as to what to do.

"Wait, they won't allow you to house your own student who has no one else to help care for her? She's thirteen, what are they thinking?!" Emma truly was stunned. This was ridiculous!

"I do not know, but yes, I am being refused. Zey are telling me she will be moved to an orphanage in the next three weeks and removed from Beauxbaton." Maxime said, her tears threatening to spill from her again.

Emma had taken a breath to think, when an idea had popped up, she was about to voice it when a familiar voice shouted across the stone steps they were heading down, "Emma! Sirius!"

At their confusion, they turned to find Tonks smiling wide as she rushed towards them.

"Tonks?" Sirius had only a second before his little cousin tossed herself into his arms nearly toppling them over.

Everyone giggled at the adorable family reunion displayed before them, it took the sting from the reality as to what was currently transpiring. "What are you doing here Tonks?"

"Looking for Alastor, he hasn't been back to his home in ages and I got worried, until I went through his mail and found a letter from Dumbledore I came straight here. I saw that cute little number with Harry just a bit ago, she's adorable. They look cute together." She said with a playful grin.

“Miss Tonks?" This was just a crazy day, Mr. Diggory was walking down with Dumbledore, looking a bit nerve rattled with a bunch of papers and pictures, from what it looked like in his hand.

"Mr. Diggory, Albus, is everything alright?"

"Hello Amos," Sirius said smiling, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, well, no…. Actually, I uh, I don't know to say the truth. Um, Dumbledore and I actually came looking for Madame Maxime. I believe we need to speak…"

"Madame Maxime, I think we should have this talk up in my office. However, I believe we need to find one more person before we have this conversation. Have you seen Miss Bonnet?" Albus said calmly, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes, this was a serious happening.

"She's with Harry right now," Emma said. Though truthfully, had Tonks not rushed them like she had and not said anything, Emma really wouldn't have known at all. "Ah, yes, thank you. Shall we, Madame Maxime?" Dumbledore said waiting for the Head Mistress.

"Of course, Professor Dumbly-dor." Even though Maxime was in confusion, she was still Head Mistress and would compose herself and deal with this in the more appropriate manner as Alicia's Head Mistress and of Beauxbaton Academy.

It only took them fifteen minutes altogether to get back up to the school and find Alicia, plus an extra twenty to get to Dumbledore's office where they proceeded to explain why Mr. Diggory was currently present and as nervous as he was, "I had a sister, years ago. I left home when I graduated and made a life for myself. Regrettably, our father did not exactly support my decision, I was not allowed to have any contact with the family, nor my sister. Marisa was her name, Marisa Diggory. I tried getting into contact with her after I found out our parents had passed on some years ago. But I couldn't find her anywhere, I’m under the strong impression our father had something to do with that, probably sealed me out of the family files, it shouldn’t have been as difficult for me to find her had I still been claimed as family. But I wasn’t notified of anything, not our parent’s deaths, not even Marisa’s and her husband, nor their son. I finally had a friend in the Ministry look for her and she found that my sister had married some years ago and had two children. Children I did not know about. I wasn't even invited to her wedding, probably to our father’s wishes. Then, I was told her eldest was killed just years after she and her husband himself were killed in an accident… The man Marisa married was named William. William Bonnet. I have pictures of her and I as children and before I left home." Amos informed them as he handed Alicia the photos and Marisa's birth certificate, along with the death Certificates of his sister, William, her husband and their son, Paul, to Maxime. "I was informed I wouldn't have been able to have gotten those had I our father still been living. I never even knew she had a family."

"That-that's my mother… b-but… She never said anything about a brother. Paulie and I never even saw a picture of you and her." Alicia was confused, this was definitely her mother and now that she thought of the photo she had seen from her grandparents, Alicia saw why there were so many gaps in the photo's they had. Due to many of them possibly having Amos in them. 

_'I'm not alone anymore! I have an uncle. That makes Cedric my cousin… I'm not alone anymore. I still have family. Biological family.'_ Alicia hadn’t realized she had begun to cry. Dropping the photos, Alicia rushed into Amos's arms, and cried into his hold.

Amos did the only thing he could at the moment, he smiled with tears in his eyes and held onto the niece he never knew he had. What hurt him the most was that he never got to see his sister grow and fall in love, he didn't get to see her wedding and he never got to be there for Alicia's birth nor Pauls' and never got to meet the young man, never got the chance to say goodbye before he could say hello. But now he had the chance right now with this thirteen-year-old girl who looked almost like her mother's twin except her hair and eyes, those came from William’s side, "I gotch ya sweet girl."

Maxime was almost in tears as she watched the scene unfold, her heart was swelling in happiness. Alicia would be safe and with family after all. They could all relax and breath now.

"Well, we’ll leave the two of you to get acquainted as family. Amos, Alicia, have a wonderful day." Dumbledore said walking out with Madam Maxime and the others, leaving the newly united Uncle and Niece.

Harry sighed in irritation, he had spent all break and the rest of January to figure the Egg out, and he hadn't gotten anything. Hermione had tried to cheer him up by telling him she didn't believe Krum had figured it out either but had been honest with him saying that she honestly didn't really know simply because due to the fact that Krum didn't exactly talk to her about it. Ron hadn't had a dang clue how to help him and Draco had told him he couldn't think of anything, and Harry couldn't find Alicia, which was bothering him a little.

He was out on the wooden bridge of Hogwarts just looking out into the mists of the chilling air when Cedric came up to him, "Hey, Potter, can I have a word?" Cedric sounded eager, like whatever it was needed to be said was extremely important, "Uh, yeah. What's going on?"

"Um… Look, I just wanted to thank you for warning me about the Dragon, and-"

Harry sighed not exactly listening as Cedric rambled on with his thanks and appreciation. He knew Cedric was grateful and as much as he'd love to hear his thanks, Harry really wanted to have some peace and quiet at the moment. The nightmares were still haunting him every night he closed his eyes. Sirius had told him to go to Severus or Dumbledore with the dreams because he wasn't sure how to help him, **_"The three of us; you, me and Emma, will go together, how's that?"_** But they hadn't had the chance yet, Dumbledore had been summoned to the Ministry a week ago and seemed to be in meeting after meeting since then with a stack of papers regarding something that was very bothersome apparently, because the Headmaster of Hogwarts had locked his office door, leaving Minerva McGonagall in charge. Harry didn’t want to add any more stress to her daily job and tasks, and Harry did not trust Snape. "Don't worry about it, you'd have done the same for me, really."

"Exactly, but um… Ha-have you figured the egg out yet?" At Harry's silence Cedric smiled with hope.

_'Good, I can return the help.'_ Cedric thought to himself and held back the swelling of his pride in his chest.

"You know the bathroom on the third floor? With the big bathing room in the back?"

"Yeah?" Harry was confused and felt a little awkward regarding the discussion of a bathroom with the large bathing tub.

_'Okay, this is weird, why is he talking to me about a bathhouse in the bathroom on the third floor.'_ Harry wandered. His curiosity grew when Cedric grinned like a guy who just got lucky. Which kind of creeped Harry out a bit.

"It's not a bad place for a bath, just take your egg and mull things over in the hot water."

"Uh, o-okay." And did Harry ever regret just not diving into the lake instead, Myrtle had practically harassed the poor boy, but she had been very helpful, just extremely perverted. Sadly, he didn't have the heart to be the least bit harsh to tell her to back off, afraid she may think he was trying to be cruel or rude to her, especially after her having such a hard time as a previous student. So, he had left after quickly washing up and went straight to Hermione, Ron, Draco and Alicia who were all laughing in the Gryffindor common room while Alicia explained to them how she was related to the Diggory's when Harry walked in to ask what he can do and continued for hours to recant the small song the egg had sung while under water.

This continued for a few weeks when the group was found in the library by Alastor Moody, who informed Hermione and Ron they were needed by McGonagall, "But sir, the task is just a few hours away and-"

"And a good night sleep would do Potter some good. Now get." He growled out, watching the two friends leave, "Longbottom! Why don't you lend a hand to Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy put Potter's books away." Moody suddenly barked out.

"Yes sir," Neville said and began assisting and conversing with Draco and Harry on Plants, "I don't know about any Turnips, but you can always use Gillyweed."

* * *

**February 26th, 1995**

The match started off like the previous one, nervousness was all around with excitement bustling from the other students cheering for their teams.

Alicia hadn't seen Ron or Hermione and Fleur hadn't seen her sister at all, Gabrielle was missing and that frightened everyone, she was just a little girl. Things kept getting weird as the day went even Cho was missing. Once the Professor began explaining that a “treasure of some sort” had been taken from each champion, they'd have an hour to search the lake. With the canon sounding, the clock started, and the second task began.

Emma sighed with worry as she rubbed her sides of her belly, she'd been having aches and pains and terrible cramps the last four hours "Why do I have a feeling something's going to happen?" As the cannon sounded, the four champions, well three, jumped in. Alastor had shoved Harry into the water.

"Please, please, please be safe." Emma muttered under her breath, Sirius rubbing her coat arms from the chilling air.

Amos had walked up to them with Alicia, an arm around her shoulders, both smiling, "Emma, why don't we find you a chair. We can't have you standing any longer than you already have." Amos said looking around, smiled with triumph as he set a chair behind her, "Thank you Amos," Sirius smiled helping her seat and watched her wince a bit as she sat letting out a long breath, "Are you alright Love?"

"Yeah, just some cramps really, I'll be fine, promise." Wincing once again Emma sighed, breathing out through the pain.

"I'll go find her some water," Alicia said moving off to find a small vendor. She was grateful when she found Draco.

"Hey, how are you?" he asked with a smile and hugged her.

"I'm doing pretty good actually. Amos said he'd have the papers signed in a few days. Unfortunately, Madam Maxime didn't like the idea of losing a student, my uncle said he couldn't exactly afford Beauxbaton, so I'd be transferred here to Hogwarts. Which I understand, I'm not going to complain about it at all. I have family, I've found friends here and I found someone I like. The last is all thanks to one of my first best friends I have made here. All because his terrible trickster cousin pulled while you tried to be a knight in shining armor." Alicia joked with a playful giggle, "I need to find some water, Emma's having some cramps."

Hearing that his Aunt having pained cramps, Draco moved himself and lead her over to one of the third years and paid for some waters, "Here we go, let's get this over to my Aunt then."

"Wait, she's your Aunt too? How many people is she related to?" understandably Alicia was confused. Unfortunately, with Draco chuckling at her confusion and slight shock had only left the young redhead more confused than before. "It's a long story-"

"Unfortunately, Miss Delacour has been forced to retire early, all we have to do now is wait for the others, thirty minutes remain on the clock." Dumbledore’s sudden announcement had drawn their attention down to the Champion of Beauxbaton Academy with worry.

"Is she okay?"

"She looks upset," 

"Of course she's upset you idiot! She's just been taken out of the game and put in last place you dumb-bling fool!"

"Wonder what they took from Fleur," 

"Hey, doesn’t she have a sister?" 

"Yeah, a little sister,"

Draco and Alicia heard the whispers and the saddening awe’s at the upset Fleur.

Sudden realization struck Alicia like being splashed with ice cold water, _'Gabrielle isn't here… Which means she was possibly Fleur's treasure… Please don't leave that little girl in that water.'_

"And in first place, MR. DIGGORY!" Dumbledore shouted.

Fleur's chest fell when only Cho came out of the water with the Hogwarts’s Hufflepuff champion.

Cedric looked around after wrapping a towel and warm robe around Cho with a kiss to her forehead, but his worry fell on Fleur with confusion as a robe was thrown around him and a few hard slaps to the back was given to him.

"Fleur? I thought you were still -"

"In second Place… Viktor Kurm! Now, we just need to wait for Mr. Potter to grace us with his presence…" Dumbledore's voice rang through, drawing everyone's attention to the water, everyone screamed and cheered as a shark head broke the surface with Hermione looking around in confusion and began swimming towards the water stands holding the viewers.

Alicia and Draco made their way back to Emma and Sirius.

Amos had gone down to congratulate his son while Alicia and the others looked rather concerned. Gabrielle was still in the water, "No Gabrielle?" Alicia asked.

Emma couldn't find her words as she sadly shook her head. This made them all wonder what would happen if a champion wasn't able to retrieve their ‘treasure’. Their hard breaths were coming to a dead stop the moment Ron popped up, gasping for breath, a little girl falling behind him.

Ron’s first thought when he noticed the kid in the water was, _'Gotta get us out of here'_ in an instinct, Ron wrapped an arm around little Gabrielle and swam towards the stands and helped guide her forward in the water to her sister's outstretched hand, while Ron looked around for anyone else coming up, but he had no chance when Krum and Cedric, and a few other guys, came up from behind him and pulled him out of the water, "Thanks, where's Harry?"

"He hasn't come up yet," Seamus said wrapping a few towels around the soaked redhead. Everyone looked around with worry. They shouted with shock as he shot out from the water, landing rather harshly against the wood floors of the stand. Ron, Neville, Dean and Seamus all rushed over, Dean and Neville tuned the shivering Harry on his side allowing his to spit up the water from his esophagus and coughed up the rest from his lungs, "Go get him another towel!" Seamus shouted Neville rushed off for more towels as Hermione, Alicia, Emma and Sirius rushed up.

Hermione wrapped her own, still dry, towel around Harry, "Oh thank God you're alright. Personally, I think you performed admirably,"

"I came in last Hermione-" He was taken aback by her harshly grabbing his face and kissing the crown of his head, "Next to last, Fleur never got past the Grindylows."

Dumbledore proceeded to announce that with Harry making an honorable choice and stubborn determination to _“rescue not only Mr. Weasley, but the others as well. The Judges had decided to grant him with second place.”_ This sent Igor into an uproar, and Krum to sulk in silence taking the set back with as much pride as he could muster at the moment.

Emma slowly, and quite painfully, knelt next to her nephew with deep breaths, trying to breathe through her pain as she hugged Harry. Taking her paints and breaths the wrong way, Harry chuckled as he hugged her back, "I'm fine Aunt Emma-" but the grip she had his arm in was like a vise, almost like she was in severe pain, "Emma? are you okay,"

"Yeah, cramps is all. Wow, I never felt these kinds of cramps before…"

Fleur rushed over thanked Harry and Ron then moved to check Emma noticing her pained expressions, **"Elle a besoin d'um hospital! Elle accouche!"**

"What!" Dumbledore shouted with pure shock, concern and fear clearly on his face deeply rooted in his eyes. 

_'How did we not notice!'_ Rushing to red head in obvious pain, "Emma, how long have you had these pains?" He did not sound remotely calm. In fact, he sounded a bit annoyed if Emma wasn't mistaken. "Uhh-ah! Um... few, no, um… couple hours? Maybe?"

"How long is a couple hours!" Harry shouted, fear flooding him as he glanced up to a paling Sirius Black.

_'Okay, so he obviously didn't know then.'_

"Uh… four hours? I think… I- I thought they were just cram- AH!"

"Uh, yeah, that's called a contraction Emma Rose!" Mellena laughed moving to her sitting friend, checking Emma herself, “We need to get her to St. Mungo's… Now!" Mellena shouted, standing up slowly with her own swelling belly. Emma’s painful scream sent Sirius into action, lifting Emma up from the floor, "Yeah and how the hell do you suggest that Gab-Mell," 

_'Damn it! Why is it always me that slips up!'_

"I can't Disapparate with her!" He shouted with fear, he had no idea what to do, and his options were very limited, she'd be in full on labor by the time they even got halfway to the school, and he was not letting her give birth outside.

"Who's the fastest flyer?" Hermione piped up.

"What?" Everyone's sudden shock at her sudden change in subject gave them all the small time to give her the most confused looked ever. Alicia seemed to be catching on and smiled wide, "Fly her to the school, get to the closest Floo network and Floo her to St. Mungos."

With that in mind Harry pulled out his wand and called for his Fire bolt he was glad he'd fixed his broom up over the holiday and handed it off to Sirius, who grinned back to the fourteen-year-old boy and went about setting them both on the broom and took off.

"I'd say he's the fastest flyer." Draco said grinning.

Everyone was wanting to get back to the school as fast as they could, however all Headmasters, Head Mistress and Professors were explained that they had time to go see their dear Professor Fox as soon as they were all packed up in the boats and relaxed, "As of now, the only ones that will be allowed to go see the Mr. and Mrs. Black will be family." Dumbledore announced.

"I thought her last name was Fox." Seamus stated with in confusion, this made everyone laugh as they all loaded into the boats and headed for land.

Harry was smiling wide, he was going to be a big cousin, a big brother. He was so happy he could cry. Not even Alastor's angered nature towards Mr. Crouch was enough to salt his mood, though it was on his and the rest of his friends' way back towards the school with him and Draco playfully shoving one another and talking about how cute the babies would be and how excited they were going to be looked up to as big brothers. The two boys found their happy mood soured when they found Mr. Crouches' body laying wide eyed and cold. His wand had been drawn to defend himself, but he likely hadn't had the chance to do so. "Mr. Crouch?" Draco and Harry were both in shock. Harry had only spoken the man a few times and he'd had a short conversation, if it could be called a conversation, only thirty minutes ago.

Draco grabbed Harry's shoulder, he could still hear Ron and Hermione singing the Hogwarts song with Hagrid, they needed to get an authority figure over her quickly, "Hagrid, come quick!"

* * *

**Translation - _Elle a besoin d'um hospital! Elle accouche!_ = **"She needs a hospital! She's giving birth!"


	31. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 31 **

* * *

**February 27th, 1995**

Emma spent several hours in labor upon arriving at the St. Mungo's. No one was allowed in to see her yet, except Sirius and the two nephews, Harry and Draco. They had been surprised when a nurse walked in a woman who was covered head to toe in modern style Victorian wear of black and blue and a white blouse. Her face and hair were wrapped to hide her identity. However, the moment she pulled her wrap from her mouth and nose Sirius and Draco's jaw dropped in shock, "Hello Draco, Sirius… It's good to see you…"

"Sissy?"

"Mum? But-" Draco was quickly silenced when Narcissa moved fast across the room, covering her son's mouth from speaking and looked into Sirius's grey eyes, her own blue filling with fear, "I'm not supposed to be here, please, don't say anything?" She wasn't exactly speaking to her son, her blue eyes hadn't left her cousin's shocked face a single moment, she feared if she showed up like she had, he'd have shouted, telling her to leave.

"Of course not, Emma said she had gotten close with you over the years… Are you alright?" With a sigh of relief, Narcissa let her hand slid from Draco's mouth and held her son close, something she hadn't had the chance to do in months, nearly a year, and kissed the top of his blond head. Mother and son had been temporarily reunited.

Still holding onto one another, Narcissa turned a look to Emma's sleeping form. The red head was out, and likely would be for a while, "How is she?"

"Exhausted. She went into labor yesterday, approximately two pm, we figured it out three hours later when her 'cramps' got worse as the hours ticked on. She just gave birth around 3 a.m. this morning. She was having some complications." Sirius caught his cousin's happy smile, the tears prickling at the corner of her eyes as she continued looking at the sleeping redhead. Her smile fading as harsh and terrible memories flooded her, "I wish I had warned them sooner… Lily and James would have loved to be here, she needed them more than anyone could have imagined… She needed you, and you were all robbed of it all, we all were… I want him to pay, Sirius… Tell me he will?" Narcissa begged with tears brewing in her bright blue eyes.

"Harry, Draco. Give us a few moments, please." That was not a request, Draco stood confused, he didn't want to leave his mother's arms, but Harry had gently pulled him out of the room and closed the door. With no ability to hear through the door the two boys watched from the small window as the two family members spoke, Sirius looked remorseful at his cousin.

They watched Narcissa's shoulders shaking, and her head bowed low like she was crying. Watched as Sirius wrapped his arms around Draco's mother and held her close to comfort her.

"Wonder what happened." Harry said, but Draco had a feeling he knew what happened, why his mother was crying and full of sadness, "I think I already know." Draco whispered sadly, finally his father's words from his second year sank in, his mother had warned, tried warning the Potter's and failed in saving them. That was why his mother was crying.

* * *

**Hogwarts - February 29th**

"A man has died Cornelius! Barty was a good man! We should not let this tournament continue on!" Dumbledore growled at the Minister for Magic.

"Do you truly think I don't know that Albus! He was my co-worker, my friend also! But I will NOT cancel this tournament! I will NOT be seen as a coward!"

Harry heard Dumbledore say something, but he hadn't been able to hear it clearly, "What did you say? What did you just say to me!"

"Excuse me, Professor, Minister. But I do believe this conversation is no longer private." Alastor said, flicking his wand at the door, letting it glide open to reveal Harry standing there with full shock at being caught.

"Harry, how glad of you to come, Minister. I believe our time has come to an end. I'll escort you out. Harry, your more than welcome to stay here until I return. Help yourself to some Licorice Snaps, but I'll warn you, they can be very sharp," Dumbledore said with a small grin, walking out with the rest of the Professors and the Minister of Magic, he seemed to have been pretty riled up.

"Albus-"

"Minister, please, this way to your carriage." Albus's voice was stern as he walked past the Minister, Cornelius forced a small smile to his face, nodded to Harry then processed to follow Dumbledore. The door closing behind them, leaving Harry alone.

With a tired sigh, Harry took a handful of the Licorice snaps. An unexpectedly gasp from the sudden pain at the snaps had literally bit him, making him drop the painful little beasts. He quickly jumped into action to try picking up the fleeing snaps, ' _I thought these things were supposed to be candy!'_ he shouted to himself mentally. Stomping after them, he found he'd accidentally stepped on some kind of hidden key lock that opened up the side of Dumbledore's wall, pulling forward a stone stand with a Pensieve sitting on top.

This confused Harry, but with his natural curiosity he moved to investigate. The memory he found shocked him. Igor Karkaroff was in an iron cage pleading for his freedom and trading information before the Council of Magical Law, his heart nearly stopped when he named Severus Snape as a Death Eater, even Harry didn't want to believe that!

His mind swirled with shock and sadness as Igor gave the name of another who had been part of the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom in 1981 after Voldemort had vanished. Shocked beyond belief at the name Igor shouted gleefully, grinning at everyone’s disbelieved shock. Barty Crouch Jr. had aided the previous three or four torturers. His father had denounced his son on the spot. As the memory came to end, Harry was pulled back out and sent falling on his bottom painfully.

"Curiosity is not a sin a Harry, don't worry. The Pensieve is harmless. It shows me what I've already witnessed, so I can relive the memory again. To see if I overlooked anything. You see Harry, I've searched for years trying to figure him out. Why he's doing what he has done, where he possibly is, to stop him… But I'm still missing something." Dumbledore rambled, it was like he was near the brink of a mental breakdown, of course one of his friends, and trusted allies, had just been murdered a few days ago. Harry wasn't expecting anything less from his dearest Professor and Headmaster.

"Professor, what happened to Mr. Crouch's son?" Harry asked in wonder, he'd seen him before and now he knew who he was. The nightmare, Voldemort asked Jr to do something for him.

"He was sent to Azkaban. Destroyed Barty to do it, but he had no choice." Dumbledore sighed sadly, sitting on his steps of his office. A thought suddenly stuck Dumbledore at the way Harry’s curious voice sounded at his question regarding the man. "Why?"

Harry stumbled over his words, but he had to tell him, that was why he'd gone to his office in the first place, he didn't know what to do.

Harry felt content after his talk with Dumbledore, he'd finally taken Sirius's advice and spoke to his Headmaster regarding his nightmares and explaining that his Aunt was having the same dreams, like they were linked. However, as he walked back to his Common room, he found Igor screaming at Snape in his potions storehouse, Harry's eyes grew wide as he found the Dark Mark plain as day tattooed onto Igor's forearm.

Snape had opened the door to let Igor out with a void expression. Being uncovered and seen by a student, Igor huffed with anger and irritation to Severus, angrily covered his mark and stormed out with a glare at Harry. He'd honestly thought he was home free until Professor Snape called him on something, expressing his impression with Harry using Gillyweed and for a moment Harry felt pride from having such a praise from Snape, until he began accusing him of stealing from his personal stores of ingratiates for his potions. This left Harry stunned and utterly shocked, "I haven't stolen anything-"

"Don't lie to me, Potter… You and your little friends are brewing Polyjuice potions, and believe me, I'm going to find out why!" and slammed the door in his face, sending Harry off in pure confusion. Harry spent the next four months confused until the next and last task in June.

Sirius had removed Emma from Hogwarts grounds and took her and the babies to 12 Grimmauld Place in London and the Potter Estate, even if he wanted to Liquidate Grimmauld Place he knew it would come in handy. Sirius had ended up offering his home to Dumbledore as the Orders Headquarters, even though Emma had already done so, along with the Potter Estate. Both homes would likely be full of Order members and those they needed to move for a safe house.

Kreacher was enjoying his time with the babies, always smiling and playing with the two bundles and looking after them that he finally let Emma cook and clean for once. Kreacher and Sirius had made her stay in bed for almost two months after she got out of the Hospital with the twins. 

Sirius was mesmerizingly captivated, barely ever more than five feet from the twins, the action had Emma smiling with joy. "You are one overprotective father." She giggled as she walked from the room, Sirius following her into the kitchen. She slightly squealed with laughter when he'd come up behind her and turned her to face him as he lifted her up onto the edge of the counter with his own playful laughter.

"You have no room to talk Love. Draco sliced his finger over New Year's, and you went crazy thinking he'd lose his figure." Sirius laughed, pecking kisses all around her face.

Playfully gasping at him she continued to laugh, unable to stop, "Hey, that was a deep slice, Sissy would have had my head if she found out he got hurt on my watch."

"He's a boy, Fox. He's bound to get hurt…"

"You are being an ass,"

"How so?" He said playfully.

This left Emma trying to figure out what to come back at him with, and found her mind completely blank, so she went for the usual, "You're such a Marauder."

Laughing, Sirius kissed her with a grin, "So are you." and just like that he was walking towards the study down the hall where Kreacher was with the twins, past the portrait of Regulus He’d moved from the stairway and into the hall, "Hey Reg,"

"Brother," Neither was snide nor rude to the other. Sirius missed him, and he was better company than his screeching mother.

* * *

**April 1995**

Both Parents took their time and shared with the twins, even taking them to Hogwarts in April, the Professors and elves cooed over the babies and smiled happily. Maxime was in adoration, "What are zeir names?" little Gabrielle asked looking over her sister's arms at them with wide smile of excitement, she loved babies.

Sirius smiled, taking a sleeping baby girl from Emma's arms, "Orion and Liliana."

"Orion is a constellation, isn't it? Isn't Liliana a different name for a flower?" Gabrielle asked full of excitement as Emma giggled and sat. Her legs were still getting their muscle and strength back after being bed ridden for nearly two months, courtesy of her body causing her a few issues after she had the twins.

Smiling at the young blonde girl from Beauxbaton, "Yes, Orion is a constellation, Emma gave him my middle name actually. And once more you are correct, Liliana is another name for a flower, a Lily actually. But her middle name is after a dear friend that saved my wife a few times," Sirius piped up when Liliana started to wake up just a little only to resettle herself and fell back asleep in her father's arms, "Liliana Sissa Black." Sirius said, his eyes never leaving his daughter. His eyes glancing at Draco with a sideways smile after he spoke his daughter’s full name.

Draco was shocked, they had named their daughter after his mother and Emma’s sister. Draco could only smile as he glanced at the baby girl in Sirius' arms, _'Liliana Sissa, wonder how mum took that, probably cried if I’m being honest with myself.'_

Severus had heard Emma and Sirius were at the school with the twins and he hadn't yet had the chance to see them and for once a few others had seen a smile on his face as he approached the parents and the babies. His eyes feel on the bundle wrapped in a lilac purple blanket with white crescent moons and stars embroidered into it. One of the gifts he had purchased for the babies, that was resting peacefully in Sirius arms, "Red hair just like her mother."

"Only difference is her green eyes aren't as deep green…" Sirius smiled lovingly at his daughter as Severus' eyes traveled over to Emma with a smile and found the baby boy resting peacefully himself seeing that fuzzy hair was dark brown, "No doubt they’ll both be as energetic as their parents." A grin plastered to his face gave that away to everyone who all just laughed and agreed.

"As long as neither are like me, I think we'll survive." Sirius joked and got a smiling stair from Emma, "Trust me, they can be like you all they want, but the moment I find out they've been bullying someone I'm putting my foot down."

"Come on Fox, when will you let that go?" He said playfully, he knew he deserved that one.

"When Sev forgives you." Emma grinned back, the only response that filled Minerva's classroom was Draco and Harry laughing at Sirius's playfully hurt face he gave her.

"Ouch, come on Harry, gotta meet that cute little redhead of yours." Draco teased, and got a reaction from everyone, even Severus Snape, laughed at the blushing boys as they walked towards the classroom door with Harry playfully shoving Draco who simply swung an arm around his friend as they left. "Is it just me or do I see another Potter and Black." Severus slightly grumbled, but his lungs were choked of air when Sirius Black turned a grin at him, "Yeah, good luck with that… Would you like to hold her?"

* * *

**May 15th, 1995**

"Mum, are you okay?" Athella asked her mother, she seemed to be having pains and panting terribly, "Is the baby okay?"

Mellena, however, was trying to control her breathing, she had been in the middle of finishing up grading for Transfiguration class when her water suddenly broke. She hadn't exactly noticed she was in labor until the contractions started going in intervals of ten minutes, by then, Mellena felt ridiculous as she took deep breaths to keep herself as calm and relaxed as possible. "Sweetheart, I need you and your brother do me a favor, can you do that?"

"Sure thing, but what's wrong?" Horus piped up from his small fictional book he'd gotten for his birthday back in July last year. Though, now that he took notice, his sister seemed to be in the right and not overreacting at all. Their mother was indeed in pain. This kicked Horus into gear, "Mum, what's wrong?"

"Ella, I need you to go find Poppy. Horus, find your father." Mellena instructed, her hand resting upon her swollen belly.

"And if he's in class?"

"I don't care if he's in class, I'm in labor. Just tell him I need him at St. Mungo's pronto." Mellena was doing her best not to snap, the twins knew how much their father hated being disrupted from his classes, especially on a Monday afternoon. "O-oh... okay," and off was her son rushing down the halls to his father classroom while his sister ran the other way bumping into students telling them to move and get out of her way as she rushed into Poppy's Hospital wing, "POPPY, MUM'S IN LABOR!"

She hadn't only found Poppy, she found Alastor, her father, Sirius, Dumbledore and Remus Lupin, who she glared at and pointed at him saying, "You're mean to my mum." that had sent just about everyone into laughter, because it wasn't exactly a lie, ever since Remus had found out Gabby had been really alive and going by the name Mellena, he hadn't exactly been the kindest person.

Remus took the statement with a saddened sigh and nodded, "She's not wrong through, I'll uh... I'll stay here."

Utterly stunned at his daughter’s sudden outburst, Snape stared blankly to the young girl, his jaw clenching with disapproval. "No, Remus you’ve more than welcome. Athella Rose Dumbledore-Snape, that was excitingly rude. Four days without your books." Snape said sternly as he walked past his shocked daughter.

Truthfully Athella was more shocked he'd grounded her from her books, "But-but... Dad, my books are my life! You can't just- yes sir." Athella sighed sadly and huffed with defeat as the adults walked out of the Hospital wing, a few steps behind the retreating group. The sudden sound of a book falling to the floor startled her. Curiously, Athella picked it up seeing it was a tattered and old edition of Peter Pan. Opening the hardcover carefully she read the hand-written inscription thinking she'd find a name for her to return it to the owner, **_"Happy birthday, Athella Rose. I am told you enjoyed books. This had always been one of my favorites I hope you enjoy it was much as I have. Sincerely, Moony"_** Her heart soared with excitement, she’d been about to shout with joy and ask who 'Moony' was, so she could thank him, until a quick thought came to her of her being grounded from her books, _'If dad finds out about this one he'll take it away from me too... Going to have to wait till later.'_

* * *

**June 24th, 1995**

The task started like any other previously, besides the loud cheers soaring through the air. The music being more invigorating for the four champions.

Alastor had went about placing the cup in the Maze as Dumbledore explained everything to them and personally giving the four students warnings of the Maze's enchantment.

Emma had noticed Alastor acting more and more strangely as the tasks moved forward, even more so when the contestants entered the Maze, "Did he just point in a direction for Harry to go in?" Sirius silently asked her, he was simply graced with a nod, "Keep your eyes open Sirius, something doesn't feel right."

They, and everyone else, chatted amongst themselves, Alicia stood by her uncle Amos and tightly held onto his hand. She explained she was with Harry, but she had always routed for all the contestants, and would continue to do so. Amos found no problem with that and had smiled proudly at his niece. Both were thinking the same thing as the seconds ticked by, _'Please be safe.'_

Their hearts raced as their eyes watched a red flair being sent up into the skies. A teacher Disappareated out towards the scene and brought back Fleur Delacour, who seemed rather shaken, claiming Viktor had attacked her, this startled everyone. Even more so when Viktor was brought back unconscious and very confused when he woke up asking what happened.

Harry and Cedric both rushed through the Maze together, trying to beat the Maze's walls as they crushed inward, "There! Run!" Cedric shouted, shoving Harry forward towards the cup, "Take it…"

Harry looked up at the seventh year in shock, "What?"

With a huff of slight irritation Cedric grabbed Harry's arms and moved him closer to the cup, "You saved me, take it! Hurry or we're both disqualified."

"No… Together…" Cedric wouldn't complain about that, if they both arrived, they'd both be the winners, that would be unique as it would come, and Cedric liked the idea of something being unique. With an agreed nod they both counted down, "One. Two. Three!" Both jumped for the cup, just as they touched it, they were gone and landing roughly in a cold, damp cemetery.

Realizing what had just happened Cedric smiled with shocked laughter, "It's a port key… Harry, the cup, it's a port key!" His grin hadn’t lasted long when he finally noticed they were not where they were supposed to be. "Where are we?"

"I've been here before," Harry said mostly to himself if, as Cedric walked to him, utterly confused, "What? How's that possible, this place looks like it's been abandoned for years. The stone statues and name plates haven't been taken care of in, I'd say, ages." But the Grim Reaper statue caught his eyes and the names on it, _"Thomas Riddle Snr"_ , _"Marry Riddle"_ and _"Thomas Riddle"_ All dates of death was 1943.

Harry’s heart dropped down to his stomach with dread, his breath caught in his chest. "Cedric, we have to get back to the cup."

Cedric looked from the stone names over to Harry, his confusion clear, "What? Why?"

"We have to get out of here-" There attention was pulled from one another as a strange sound, like an old door, opening. Harry's gut turned with fear as a shadow came out and towards them. His scar lit up with burning pain, sending Harry to his knees with a cry.

Worried, Cedric rushed to Harry’s side and grasped ahold of his arm with concern, trying to look him over for any form of harm, "Harry, what is it, what's wrong?

"Get to the cup!" Harry screamed out. He couldn't let Cedric get caught in this. Unfortunately, the moment Wormtail's face came into view, Cedric stood at the ready between Wormtial and Harry, raising his wand to the unknown man, "Who are you, what do you want!"

"Kill the spare!" a small raspy voice demanded.

" _Avada Kedavra_!" Pettigrew shouted, a flash of green flew so fast Cedric barely had time to move, ducking the curse Cedric rolled out of the way, Cedric had gotten lucky for being able to dodge that curse just in time. But his luck would run out eventually.

"I SAID KILL HIM!" The voice screeched again with anger.

Wormtail opened his mouth, ready to curse the Hufflepuff once again, he was left stunned as the boy sent a curse back at him. Pettigrew moved as fast as he could with his lord in his arms.

" _REDUCTO_!" Cedric cast once again, Peter was lucky he was able to move from that blast with his Lord tightly held close to him, though he was becoming irritated and angered at being screamed at by Voldemort that he was a worthless waste of his command and ranks. Pettigrew grinned wickedly upon noticing where Cedric stood, under the Reaper's wings of the Riddle's tombstone. Casting a curse which broke a piece of the wing and watched with glee as it struck the Hufflepuff seventh year right atop onto the crown of his head, knocking him unconscious, "He should be dead when this is over, a slow and painful death for annoying my and getting in the way!" Peter grumbled.

"Cedric!" Harry tried getting free, he had to get Cedric out of there, they had to get out of there fast, but with him pinned to the stone statue of the Reaper he couldn't do anything. "Peter! Don-don't do this! Please!" Harry begged, Harry felt hope when he saw Pettigrew hesitate for a moment, but only for a moment it lasted, as he began spell and dropped Voldemort into a large cauldron. Harry held back his vomit when he watched Peter cut through his own wrist, the sound of his screams when his hand was fully severed and falling into the mixture with Voldemort's body inside the liquid.

They watched in memorized fear as the cauldron melted away as a body uncurled from the slim as smoke swirled around the body.

Harry was in full panic, but his eyes continued to move to Cedric's unconscious body, fearing the boy was dead. He watched with fear as the revived person turned and spoke to Wormtail, anger boiled over him as the dark mark appeared overhead and clouds of smoke flew from the open mouth landing in a circle around them as Voldemort called them all out on his raging disappointment in them, he was shocked, a desire to lash out when Voldemort pulled a mask from another, revealing none other than Lucius Malfoy, _'Now I think I know why Draco's mum sent him to Aunt Emma. That bastard is involved with Voldemort.'_

Harry became over flooded with rage, forced to watch Voldemort walk to Cedric's unconscious form and moved his face away from his view and towards him, tsking at that boy, "Such a handsome boy too,"

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!"

"Ah, Harry, I'd almost forgotten you were here, amongst the bones of my forefathers." Letting the boy from his imprisonment of the Reaper he challenged Harry, a child to a duel. He was cruel, using _Crusio_ and insulting Lily. Harry had tossed a curse his way, unfortunately it was easily deflected.

Harry, full of fear and unsure as to what to do, went for cover as Voldemort continued cursing his way then finally demanded Harry come out and face him.

"I want to look at you when I kill you! I want to see the light leave your eyes!" Voldemort raged.

Harry took a breath, he didn't want to die, but he had no idea how to get past Voldemort to get to Cedric and still have time to get the cup in his hand, he may just die. And if he did by standing his ground like his parents, he was fine with that.

"Have it your way then." Harry said with a strong determination as he stepped out to face his death. In seconds their wands connected, sending a bright flash of light exploding from their wands creating a Dome around them.

Bright orbs shot out from Voldemort's own wand, gracefully landing behind Harry, the faces he saw made his heart swell then break.

Lily and James stood next to him, holding his hands around his wand. "We can hold him off for a moment, but only for a moment! Do you understand?!" James said frightened as he and his wife’s spirit watched the terrifying sight before them. If they were late by even a half a second Harry was dead. He needed to get his son to see that they were unable to stay for long to talk to him like they'd have wished.

Harry had so much he wanted to say to them, but only a few words left him, his eyes locked with his mother’s sad smiling face, "I love you,"

"We love you too Harry. Give Emma a kiss for us? Let go, Harry, you’re ready." It took all his might to do what he was told to do, unable to break the line while seeing his parents Harry closed his eyes and broke the connection sending a small shockwave between Harry and Voldemort. His parents and the house keeper's souls flew at the dark lord, surrounding him and his followers in smoke giving Harry the time he needed to get to Cedric's body, accioed the Cup into his hands sending him and Cedric back into Hogwarts's grounds. The second he heard the cheers and the music playing he let his tears run in sobs, "Harry!" Dumbledore rushed the boys. Cedric was not moving, and Harry was not moving from his body. Once they were finally able to get Harry a safe space from the Seventh-year student, Dumbledore check him over and his heart sank with dread, "He's dead…"The words left Albus like an aching whisper. He didn't want to believe this, one of his students was dead, murdered on his watch. Albus Dumbledore’s worst fears had been turned into a reality.

Amos rushed down shouting for everyone to move out of his, fell to his knees in grief and began screaming over his son's body, holding Cedric close to him.

Alicia stood back from the scene unable to move until she fell into someone's arms crying. _'Just like Paulie… I've lost another.'_ She had no idea that the arms she was in was that of Viktor Krum. He'd seen her falter and not wanting her to hurt herself if she did fall with jelly legs, he quickly caught her then soon relinquished his hold of the girl over to Hermione, who had rushed from the stands with Draco and Ron. The boys and the rest of the crowd of students were ushered back by the Minister of Magic and that or Arthur Weasley, "No, you don't need to be seeing this."

Cho cried as silently as she possibly could, her cries turning into painful cries as a watering eyed Lavender wrapped her arms around Cho, allowing the Ravenclaw girl to cry into her embrace for comfort while Lavender took comfort from Seamus’s gentle grip to her arm.

Alastor had grabbed a sobbing Harry from the ground and dragged him to his office telling him that the stadium was not the place to be wailing like a banshee in front of others. But as soon as Alastor had the boy in his office, Harry hadn't thought of looking around the room, otherwise he'd have found two unconscious bodies off in the cornier.

Emma and Sirius had earlier moved to confront the Dark Arts teacher and had been rendered unconscious and shoved off in a corner.

Alastor had rushed around his office room as he spoke to Harry, the pain he was in was nearly unbearable, "What was it like?" he grunted out, his throat was drying, as he swallowed back the pain of his bones cracking back into place, he was out of Polyjuice potion.

_'Damn! I'll be discovered before I can even kill the boy and frame the bloody fool!'_

"I-I'm sorry?" Harry was confused, he lost a classmate, someone he knew, someone he'd have enjoyed in life as a friend. A smart young man had died trying to protect him as a friend and senior classmate and Alastor Moody, his Dark Arts teacher, was asking him what it was like to stand in the very presence of the Dark Lord? "Um, I don-don't know. It's all mixed together really-"

"Were there others?" Alastor ached, he was forcing back the change as long as he could, but it was failing him. His skin looked like it was melting off him as he forced back the change and his spine cracking back into place, making him shout a bit.

"Professor, are you-" Harry's voice froze in his throat, dreed sinking into the pit of his stomach. His eyes lingered off into the very corner behind the changing Alastor Moody, his green eyes finding two bodies that appeared to be dead, both person's eyes closed and still as can be. The sight sent the boy into sheer panic and dread, "Aunt Emma?" It was like he was an infant once again, his mother standing between him and Voldemort then being murdered.

Emma's dark red hair was everywhere like she had just been thrown in the very place she was in. Sirius laid just as still on the other side of the corner, "Si-Sirius? Wh-what have you-" he choked. Harry couldn't bring himself to say it. Harry’s heart shattering piece by piece. His eyes wouldn't, couldn't, move from their bodies. _'Their dead… Bu-but the babies? Me, Draco? What are we- oh God… Draco's mum…'_ Harry was unaware his eyes were streaming and overflowing with fresh, hot, tears with sobs leaving him as his legs gave out. Harry moved himself over to his Aunt and Uncle, shaking them, begging that they to wake up. The entire time he left his back vulnerable.

'Alastor' moved to the boy, grabbed Harry by the back of his shirt and pulled him back around to the center of the room, wand at the ready. At that moment, Harry wanted to die.

Yet fate was in favor of the boy this time around when the door was blasted in by Mellena, "HARRY!" She paid no mind to the intruder as he turned Alastor's wand on her and sent the killing curse straight for her, “CURSE!” Snape shouted a for-warning for the others as he moved for his wife slamming them both against the wall out of the way as everyone else made a hole in the halls, thankfully all avoided being hit as Amos and Dumbledore disarmed ‘Alastor Moody’.

Kingsly and Mellena checked the office, both their hearts sank in fear as they rushed to their downed friends. Harry had rushed to the two fallen adults in a panic alongside Mellena and Kingsly, hopeful they were really alright. Watching Kingsly sigh with relief checking both for pulse Harry let his tears run with hope and joy. _'They are alive, thank you…'_

"Severus, the serum!" Dumbledore shouted, Amos pinned the intruder to the chair, binding him in place while Albus forced open the man's mouth allowing Severus to pour the serum down his throat and the interrogation began.

Emma stirred, a pounding headache was what greeted her and the sobs of Harry, "Harry? What are you crying for? Oh Merlin, I think I'm going to be sick."

She was sent back onto the floor as her nephew tackled her back, his arms around her, sobbing into her arms, her headache forgotten about.

"You're alive… I thought he killed you…" Harry sobbed, then it clicked to both her and Sirius.

Tightening her arms around Harry, Emma began to gently rock the two of them side to side. Knowing the gentle motion would likely help calm him. As childish as the act may have looked at other parties, the act was always a soothing action. Unless you were prone to motion sickness. "We're alright."

"Send an owl to Azkaban, I think they'll find they're missing a Prisoner." Dumbledore said with irritation as he moved back over the now opened chest, "Sit tight Alastor, we'll have you up in a moment."

"I'm sorry Albus," Alastor weakly shouted up, a hand over his missing eye. He was relieved that he was finally found, but the long months had been so painful he wasn't sure he'd ever want to leave his home ever again.

However, the swift nature Fudge had entered the Office was like he was on a mission. His anger was clearer than any of them had ever seen, but what frightened everyone the most the was feisty Dementor right on his heels. "Bartemius Crouch Junior! Escapee and murderer alike! For impersonating not only a Professor of Hogwarts, but an Auror himself, for conspiracy against the Ministry of Magic and the planned murders of Harry James Potter, Alastor Moody, Sirius Black and Emma Evans. Furthermore! For aiding a fellow Death Eater, Peter Pettigrew and other fellow followers of He-Who- Must-Not- Be- Named, for participating in the death of Cedric Diggory and tampering with the Tri-Wizard Tournament that has led to these hardships and losses and the death and planned murder of your own father, Bartemius Crouch Senior, Head of the Ministry of Magic's International Magical Cooperation! I here-by sentence you to undergo the Dementors Kiss at once!" Fudge was fuming with rage. His anger had cost him all his reason and clear thinking. he had to keep this quiet, he had to keep Voldemort’s attempted return from getting out. Again.

Dumbledore’s shock brought his eyes up from Harry and the other two. Harry had a cut along his forearm, blood curling around the cut like that of a snack. Like a Death Eater’s tattoo.

"No! Cornelius, he can testify! Voldemort has returned!” Sirius shouted, knowing if Cornelius went through with this sentence, they’d have more losses than victories along with more deaths of comrades and that of innocent lives.

“He’s right, Jr. may know where he and Pettigrew could be hiding!" Kingsly quickly spoke up, agreeing with Sirius. He couldn’t believe Fudge was willing to kill their only lead to finding Voldemort!

"SILENCE!" Cornelius roared, his face red from his anger, "Bartemius Jr. is a mad-man and mentally incapable of producing any sound evidence of his return and I will not be made a fool! That Dark Wizard is dead! And he shall remain so! Dementor, perform your task and head back to Azkaban!" Cornelius shouted with rage.

Severus held Albus back, fearing the Dementor may turn on his Headmaster as the creature began performing it's given task. Once done, the Dementor fled back to the Prison as everyone stared wide eyed in utter shock and fear of what Cornelius Fudge had just done.

"Cornelius, what have you done?" Albus had no words really, he'd had thought Fudge would be sensible, then again, his once dear friend had become emotional ever since the first War and losing so many people. Then it hit him, Cornelius was doing this not only because Barty Snr had been their good friend, but because Fudge would be voted out of his chair and relinquished to the next chairman. This was about Fudge keeping his job and the man’s strong desire to not want to admit Voldemort had truly came back. This realization sent Albus Dumbledore into a rage of his own, though the Headmaster said nothing to the Minister, but his cold, daggered, glare was enough to send Fudge packing.

* * *

The next few days they spent preparing for Cedric Diggory's Memorial Service that Hogwarts had offered to host in honor of their fallen student before they said their goodbyes to their Guests. This was also the same time Emma turned in her temporary two weeks, "I'll be back Albus, but for now, I think I should be with my family. But please, if you or Hogwarts ever needs someone to help you, never hesitate to ask. I will come back to help you, but only for a short time."

The Memorial service was held, Emma and a few others, including Harry, Cho, Draco, Hermione and the Weasley family attended Cedric's funeral. Harry holding a crying Alicia for the loss of her cousin, a cousin she had been robbed of just after finding her family. A single thought in his mind. 

_'No one will hurt her Cedric, I promise. Alicia and Cho will be safe. You have my word on that.'_


	32. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 32 **

* * *

**Fifth year 1995**

**July**

"Harry, stop fussing about and just go downstairs and ask them… I'll go with you, how does that sound?"

"No, I have to do this myself…" Harry said, a nervous sigh leaving him as he stared at the unsigned adoption forms in his hands, seeing his parents like he had as ghost really stuck a painful nerve. He loved his parents even without knowing them. However, Emma was practically his mother as it was, and he'd let it slip several times already. It was a worse blow when he'd thought Barty Crouch Jr had killed Emma and Sirius. He knew he'd always know Lily and James as his mother and father, but he looked up to his Aunt like a mother ever since he found out she'd been fighting for his custody his second year. Taking a breath of courage, Harry walked down the winding steps of 12 Grimmauld Place towards the kitchen and smiled as he walked past the Twins' baby room, Kreacher was fast asleep between the cribs on the floor with a small blanket just enough for him and continued down the stairs with Draco close behind him.

Harry knew that he wasn't coming down to witness with his eyes, but his ears and hidden support.

"You got this Jamie." Draco said patting Harry's back as he watched the boy walk into the kitchen where Sirius and Emma sat drinking their afternoon tea and coffee.

"Um… Emma, Sirius? C-can I have a moment to speak with you both about something?" Harry’s hands where shaking from his nerves going crazy, he knew they'd never say no to him, at least not regarding this.

Seeing Harry shaken about something, they were worried he'd gone off, not three weeks after summer had started, and gotten into trouble.

"Yes, come and sit…" Sirius said moving his feet off the chair from across from him and moved Emma’s feet from his lap as both set their books and cup down as their nephew took a seat while trying to hide the papers from their sight, he looked scared, nervous and sad, which only made the two guardians worry more.

"Um, well, Re-remember, Emma, when you handed me the forms of guardianship, they were already signed, well… Um, I uh… I went back through the forms and they never sent a copy of the adoption forms to us, so I got a hold of someone, well Draco and I, and they told us that the adoption forms had been lost in the chaos when Maggie and her family were killed. Um, something must have happened because they were never filed. So, technically you're just my guardians. But I w-was just wondering if you'd both be willing to sign the adoption forms?"

"This is why you're so nervous?" Emma asked with a smile as she was filled with relief.

"Yeah, I just… I've been slipping up, calling you mum, but when I saw mum and dad in the cemetery, it kind of hit me that I don't exactly have that anymore… I just... I don't want either of you to feel like I'm trying to replace my parents, because I never will. They, and you, sacrificed a lot saving me and, in the process, we lost not only my parents but much more also. But what made it all much worse was when you were both unconscious and I thought you were dead… I called you mum and it was like I'd just lost my mother-"

"Harry," Emma had heard enough, a sweet smile on her face as she reached across the table and grabbed a hand clutching the forms, "Simple answer to a simple question. Do you want us to sign the forms?"

"…Yes." Harry wanted to cry, they were going to do it. They were going to sign the adoption forms. At the realization that his Aunt was not only going to be his Aunt, in his mind and heart, Emma was giving him the pleasure of calling her his mother, they were all on the understanding that Lily and James would never be replaced to him, and they never wanted him to forget his parents that tried to live to see him grow as much as he had.

Sirius smiled taking in a deep breath and winked at Harry, a grin coming to both of them, "Then hand them over."

Harry smiled in awe as he slid the forms over to his Uncle and Aunt, watched Emma move to find a quill and ink cartage and began signing her name.

Sirius moved and stopped her for a moment, "I think you need to sign it under 'Black' not 'Evans'," He said grinning, he'd been meaning to do this for a while, but he wanted to do it as a surprise.

Curious as to why he was correcting her on this when they hadn’t exactly done the name change, nor gotten the marriage certificate yet Emma’s eyes watched him curiously. "Since when? We haven't gotten our marriage certificate from the ministry yet." At his silence, Emma and Harry smiled with surprise. He'd done his job and that was to surprise.

"Actually, I went and got that last week." He said laughing when Emma playfully shoved him, after signing her new, and married, last name. Both adults took a moment to look at it as realization of it sank in, "Mrs. Emma Rose Black, sounds nice doesn't it." Sirius whispered into her hair looking over her shoulder at the forms with her signature, "It's wonderful, honestly I thought I'd die before we ever got married…"

"Yes, we are legally married, however, you never got that wedding you wanted. A wedding you will have-" He was interrupted when Emma turned her head, kissing him by surprise leaving him smiling and kissed her back.

"I don't need to have a wedding Sirius. I already have everything I've always wanted since I met you. And now we have Harry. Legally."

"And what is that, if I may ask." He was truthfully just playing around and honestly didn't think she'd give an honest answer, more like a funny remark, but honesty is what he got.

"You, Sirius, my heart skipped a few beats when our eyes first connected. You had my heart beating like a jack rabbit running… I couldn't think of living a life without you."

Sirius was glad she'd given him the honest answer because she had his heart thrumming in his chest. He knew that the moment she died would be the moment he'd die with her. "You took the words right out of my heart Fox. But the best part of this is that I get to say you really are mine-" 

"Forever, beyond Eternity." She was really enjoying this moment, but she had to ruin it, she just had too, Harry's adoption forms were barely finished, "Sirius?"

"Yes Love?" He was expecting her to say something more that could possibly make him fall in love with her even more than she had, but what he got was the Fox that he knew, and he should have seen it coming when she playful grinned, "We still need to finish signing the forms for Harry."

None of them could help it, even Draco on the other side in the hallway, was laughing, "Aright, alright, but I'm getting you back for that one, you know that right?"

"Of course, you wouldn't be a Marauder if you didn't." Emma teased. She was just digging herself a hole really. Though, she knew it was all fun and games for them, but their love was pure and real. Untouchable and unbreakable, that they knew for a fact.

Draco and Harry sighed with excitement of the fresh air away from the adults and the Order business they had ended up enduring over the last month of summer. Emma and Sirius had let them go out on their own that day and Harry had taken Draco to the park he used to go too when he was at the Dursley's. Unfortunately, their fun was short lived.

Dudley and a few others walked onto the playground laughing, and Harry had a sick feeling he knew why they were laughing, especially when the two young wizards found Dudley's knuckles bruised and a little bloody, "Who the heck is that?"

"Dudley Dursley… My cousin." Harry grumbled lowly under his breath, obviously irritated and his afternoon ruined.

_'This should be interesting.'_ Draco thought with a heavy sigh.

"Well, look here at what I found," Dudley started the second he spotted Harry he took the chance to egg him on, still under the impression the boy wouldn't do anything with magic, that he hadn't taken the notice that Harry and Draco had put on a bit of muscle, since Harry had been in the care of his Aunt, but the moment Dudley started laughing about Lily's deceased statue Draco had to hold his friend back, "Did you know he used to cry at night, _‘He's going to kill me mum!’_ I think he's more damaged than my parents thought! Oh, and look at this, is the blondie your boyfriend? What a waist to humankind-" Draco's brow rose, kind of feeling a bit sick that Dudley was planting images in the others minds of him with Harry. However, there were a few errors in that thinking, **1)** Draco and Harry were not gay, **1.a)** Even if they were, it was none of their busy! though reason number two would rule that out, because **2)** They were practically brother's **3)** Both boys had their eye's set on their own crushes, boy or girl, again it was not Dudley's business, nor the hog's friends. Draco had heard enough from the porky kid laughing about Lily, and Harry being possibly gay, Draco let his friend/brother go and watched with glee as Harry advanced on Dudley. Unfortunately, Draco nearly regretted the decision when Harry pulled his wand from his pocket.

_'Oh shit,'_ Fearful Harry may actually hurt his dumb cousin for being such a git and bully, Draco thought it wise to try to rectify his own mistake and attempted to keep Harry from making one of his own, "Harry-"

Harry's mistake would soon turn into a survival reaction as the sky swirled quickly with dangerous and angry clouds. "That's not good… Harry, we gotta go… Like now."

"What are you doing?" Dudley asked, his fear was understandable, but his so-called friends had abandoned him quickly.

"I'm not doing anything! Draco, what's going on?" Harry snapped at Dudley, his worried gaze dropping on Draco, hoping for an answer. Though he knew he wasn’t going to like it, he’d already told him they should be running.

"We have to take cover, now! RUN!"

Thinking it was a dangerous storm, Dudley followed after the two boys as they ran for cover. Dudley almost falling on his face several times, leaving Harry to help the bullying teenager. Draco in turn, sighed with some annoyance and helped the two in getting Dudley back up and running for cover.

"Honestly, you're a better person than I am Harry." Draco said panting for breath once they had cover under the freeway tunnels.

"Why do you say that Blondie?" Dudley snapped, his face wet from the rain and red from running that distance, he was trying to be all big once again, leaving Draco to hold back as much laughter as he could.

Grinning at the boy, Draco smirked. He was going to give the bully the harsh truth, because Draco still had a bit of his mean streak in him, just because he didn't use didn't mean he couldn't toss it back. “For two reasons out of several; **1)** I'd have left your ass back there in the mud and rain, and **2)** You're not frightening, the only thing you have you against me and Harry is your weight, all you'd have to do is sit on us."

Both Harry and Dudley looked at the blond with utter shock, no one had ever said such a thing to Dudley before. "Draco!" Harry scolded, though deep down he was trying not to laugh, after all the trouble and hardship Dudley had caused to not only Harry himself, but to others even after he left the Dursley's, Harry had to say that even though it was cruel and very rude to say something like that. Dudley had fully deserved that. Though, the look on Dudley's face said defeat, Harry still kind of felt bad for him because his parents did not much care for trying to start him in a healthy direction, instead they had feed the boy so much that he was barely fitting in anything, hints why Dudley's school Nutritionist was very concerned. The boy had only been twelve and he was already liable for a stroke, heart attack or diabetes he was so unhealthy. However, if Harry compared then to now, he'd say Dudley had either grown out of the weight or Dudley had actually worked hard, well, Petunia must had worked hard, to lose the weight off of him.

Their cover and safe haven were soon turned into a battle ground. Two Dementors entered and moved to attack the boys, even going after Dudley, who was trying to flee in fright.

"Dudley get down!" Harry shouted, casting his Patronus.

Draco felt useless, he'd never tried his Patronus before, but he had to at least try. His attempt, however, had been cut short when he was side blinded by a third Dementor, fear filled Draco like a heavy water surrounding him. Images flashed through him, flashes of a life he’d have had, had he not been friends with Harry and the others, a life he knew would end in tragedy.

Dudley was going through the same, of a life if he continued the path he was going. A life that scared him to half madness.

"Draco help me get Dudley up," Harry panted with worry as he checked his cousin’s pulse, alive he may have been, but the Muggle boy didn’t look good at all.

Looking over he found he was no longer against a wall, but on the ground finding an elderly woman behind Harry looking at him with worry, "What happened? Who's she?"

"Mrs. Figg, meet Draco, Draco, Mrs. Figg…She used to watch me when the Dursley's didn't want me around. And apparently a Witch, or at least knows about us. Come on, I need help getting him up. He's completely out of it. " Harry explained.

It had taken them a good hour to get Dudley back home, Mrs. Figg explained to get him inside and to stay there until someone came for the boys. Unfortunately, that had definitely not gone as planned when the boy’s walked into the Dursley’s homes with Harry and Draco sporting a spooked out and sick green Dudley.

Vernon had side blinded the boys, knocking his own son down in the process as he quickly seized both of the Wizard boy' wands, shoving them up the stairs shouting incoherently.

Both boys were stunned at how fast and strong Vernon was, though the second the parents had seen the state of their son and the two wizards supporting his heavyweight, the couple had screamed, and Vernon had attacked. Vernon was understandably furious and scared his son had been attacked by the two boys and had only acted on parental emotions and fear. But locking the two boys in Harry's old room that had not been touched since his second year was a bit extreme while both parents fretted and cried and screamed in fear over their son, "He's finally done it! He's finally driven him loopy! I've had it up to here! These-these wizards, that witch sister-"

"Vernon! Enough of this, our first priority is Dudley, however as much I disapprove of Emma's and Lily'… whatever kind of illness this is from the so called magical being, I'll not have you raving about my baby sister! She's the last sister I have, I can live with her hating me because I deserve it all, just as she deserves to believe I've hated her and Lily over the years… But Vernon, I swear to whatever higher power there is if you say one more word about her instead of worrying about our son, I will pack my things… And Dudley's!" Petunia had snapped. Having enough over the years after Harry had left their home, Petunia’s anger towards her sisters had disappeared almost entirely, even though she still disapproved of both Emma’s and Lily’s involvement with Magic.

"Well, that was a sudden change in events." Harry was shocked, finding that the old bedroom door's lock had been replaced and from what the two had seen of the new lock, it seemed durable.

Draco sighed looking out the window of the home, listened to the car door gently close and the Dursley's driving off, "Good news first, their gone. Bad news, we’re troll soup if the Police show up."

"Worse news, Vernon took our wands." Harry sighed against the door feeling utterly stupid.

"Oh, yeah, that's even better." Until an even worse thought hit Draco, this thought made him sigh and plopped himself down onto the bed, "Harry?"

"Please don't tell me the Police are here?" He begged, his eyes closed and fear bubbling in his gut, "No, um… But I think this is worse than that."

"What could be worse than the Police showing up Draco." Harry barked in self irritation, and Draco really hated himself for making Harry feel worse about this, but he had to say something, "Patronus, Dudley… Wizard magic in front of a muggle…. The Ministry won't see it as defense, with all of the attacks they'll likely come straight-" but it was too late, an owl had swiftly dropped in and flew off after dropping a letter in the center of Harry's old room, one that moved and began to inform Harry he'd be expelled from Hogwarts of Magic.

Draco saw the sick look no Harry's face and his heart shattered, "Your wand, along with Mr. Malfoy's, have both been seized by Auror's on their way to gather you from Number 4 Privet Drive, which you and Mr. Malfoy are under the assumption of breaking an entry."

"WHAT!" the two shouted, outraged by the accusation and their pending arrest. They were stunned, dumbfounded but this was ridiculous!

"Hoping you are well, Mathilda Hopkins," then watched as the letter shredded itself into several pieces, leaving two very scared teenagers.

_'This is much definitely worse.'_ Harry thought as he slumped against the door once again.

Emma and Sirius had been in shock when an informed letter arrived through their window, they had wondered why the boys where so late. The moment they were informed that a group of Auror's were on their way to collect the boys, they both jumped from the bed, shouted for Kreacher to care for the children and they'd be back as soon as they could.

Sirius headed for Mad Eye for help while Emma made her way to the hospital to correct the magical problem. However, upon her arrival, she found Dudley in the hospital room alone, rocking himself back and forth looking rather sick and frightened. Though his fright had not turned once on her, instead he began crying, "Please don't take my memories, as ho-horrible as tonight was I-I-I wanna remember this." This sudden outburst shocked Emma.

Moving to his bedside, Emma took a seat a few spaces away from him looking at him with sympathy and remorse. She didn't want to tamper with Dudley's memories, if she didn't the boys could be in trouble, but the feeling was surrounded her that if she did tamper with Dudley’s memories that they'd be in a worse situation, "Dudley, can you tell me what happened?"

The boy wailed into the pillow in his arms mumbling, "Cloaked and cold… They showed me things, things I want to forget but I know if I do it'll happen." Was all Emma could make out.

"Cloaked and cold?" Emma received a nod from her nephew, "And these… things, they showed you things?" again she was graced with a nod. If a Dementor had attacked the boys and showed Dudley something Emma needed to know, "Dudley, I need you to try as hard as you can to tell me what that thing showed you… Think you can do that for me?" She smiled wide with pride at him when he sniffed back his tears and nodded, telling her whatever he could muster to tell her, "Thank you, Dudley."

"C-can you te-tell Harry that I-" He's words choked him, he couldn't say them, not to her, because they were words, he had to say to him. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a crumpled up folded piece of paper and handed it out to Emma, an Aunt he'd never had the chance to know, "Can you give him this?"

Even though she was unsure of the contents of the paper, Emma kindly took the letter and nodded, "Of course," She was gone seconds before his parents and a few doctors walked in. Dudley went silent once again.

Harry sighed tiredly, he and Draco missed their beds as it was, it was nearly past midnight and no one had come for them, but the sudden noise at the keyhole told the two boys differently when the door flew open. Standing in the doorway was Tonks illuminating the dark room and hall with her wand, "Tonks?"

"Hey Harry, Draco, how are you holding up?" She asked with a grin, winking to the boys.

"Not now Tonks," Alastor growled, the only reason he was out of his home this time was because Sirius had called an emergency rescue and evacuation from his sister-in-law’s house because his two eldest boys had been fools and got themselves locked up in a room on the top floor.

"Professor Moody?" Draco grinned and laughed with delight, "Oh, thank Merlin."

Laughing with equal excitement Harry piped up for both boy's curiosity, "What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you both of course, come along. Hurry we don't have long." Moody grumbled. Everyone gladly rushed from the house and out to the street, brooms rushing into everyone's hands present there, "But the letter said I was expelled,"

"Not yet you're not, Emma and Dumbledore went to the Minister and persuaded him to hold a hearing, postponing your expulsion." Alastor informed the boys, "Oh and Draco, Sirius has your wand. Unfortunately, the Ministry still has yours Potter, they couldn't convince them to relinquish it to them." He said with unfortunate news.

Even though Harry was pissed that they were not seeing things the way it had actually happened, which had been in full defense, Harry still somewhat understood. He had cast a spell in front of his muggle cousin and had allowed his wand to be removed from his hands by his Uncle. They hadn't exactly broken into the house though, the front door had been unlocked and Dudley needed help, they had to go in with him, the boy was nowhere near alright to walk by himself.

* * *

**3 Days Later**

After Cedric's death, the Daily Prophet had been saying a lot about Harry and Dumbledore.

Emma and Sirius had told Harry he was no longer allowed to read the paper because of it, and that hurt all the more that his friends at school and classmates would be reading the same things and forming new and out of the water crazy opinions, though his letters from Alicia had proven helpful, she had told him to ignore them, that she and many other believed him and Fudge was simply out of his mind, even Amos Diggory had said something against Fudge publicly. Unfortunately, for Fudge, he couldn't exactly fire Diggory simply because what Diggory had said was true and there had been previous records stating such things. This had been the moment Fudge had lost it and began to really attack the Potter and Black family. Something that had sent Emma into a rage.

But, with help from Draco, Harry had been able to get ahold of the daily prophets and he was beginning to see why his Aunt and Uncle had forbidden him from reading the papers. They were calling him a liar, a fraud and worst of all accusing him of knowing _the truth_ behind Cedric Diggory’s murder last year.

Furious, Harry had marched down the stairs and right into the middle of the first meeting of the Order in almost months, tossing the paper down onto the table, red in the face, "I don't get it, why is this happening? Why is Fudge not seeing reason? Why is he blindly missing the clues."

Everyone stood shocked, Molly was helping Emma cook, Tonks had been sitting across from Remus daydreaming and nearly jumped from her skin when Harry had barged in. Remus sat beside Sirius, looking rather pale and sick as usual, but he seemed testier on many to nearly all subjects from the sudden clench of his jaw and fists.

Sirius sighed, glancing towards Emma and Molly both looking rather disturbed, but at his wife's nod Sirius knew it was time to talk to his nephew, all of the new generations of the Order, "Harry, I think it's time we had a talk."


	33. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 33 **

* * *

**August 15th, 1995**

The day Hermione and Alicia had arrived, was the best weekend any of the Hogwarts Students had nearly all summer, there entire group was complete. The Weasley's, Harry, Hermione and Draco. Even Alicia had joined them with Amos present.

After his son had been killed Amos had become determined to see those responsible burn.

Ginny blushed, jumping right at Draco, her arms wrapping around him in a hug, “Glad you’re alright.”

"Wow, never saw that coming," Ron laughed.

Harry grinned with his arms still wrapped around a happily smiling Alicia. She was also glad to be back with her friends and family, as well as being back in Harry's arms.

Remus coughed into his arm, moving closer to his friend then whispered to Sirius, "Is it just me or is that another form of you and Emma and Lily and James?" he said with a bit of a joke. His words received a round of laughter from his friend. They all knew they saw history repeating itself, in a good way, thankfully.

"Let's eat, then we can have our meeting." Sirius laughed. He’d been keeping his eyes on Tonks lately, she seemed to have grown a crush for his dear friend. Sirius knew Dora didn't care about the age difference, but he also knew Remus, and he knew his dear friend would use the fifteen, nearly twenty years age difference against her at all odds to run her away.

Once the kids were upstairs and out of ear shot, or so they thought, the Order's meeting began. Arguments erupting with stern and serious discussion ensued. Severus was the most to be speaking against half their ideas to set into motion, simply because he knew what the Dark Lord and his followers were thinking. He had eyes and ears inside personally and his hands deep in the problems.

"None of you happen to be thinking of the casualties you'll be causing with half of your ideas! Do you truly suspect that he does not have his own set of eyes and ears in Hogwarts? Dumbledore already has suspects, and unfortunately, they’re apart of the student body! My own House is infested with his followers no thanks to that Malfoy boy! I mean it when I say Draco is lucky he had been moved houses, I wasn't so lucky. Neither are the younger ones still there and those that will be sorted into that house in the near future. The Slytherin House is supposed to represent cunning and achievements, not a house to be feared! He even has his teeth in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw! No house is safe, not even Gryffindor." Severus barked with irritation and disappointment, "These are students you'll be endangering Black! At least Lupin has some kind of idea to **_not_** include the student population!"

"Shh, keep your voices down!" Molly warned, trying to keep her own voice down, though it had all been for so little. The kids could hear every word they spoke.

"I was not planning to involve children in the first place Snape! I was simply insinuating that we ask the higher grades to join us. Not children." Sirius clarified. Unfortunately, Snape was not willing to hear any of it, "They are still children! We cannot fight him and his followers, who I will gladly remind you, are grown adults with skills, deadly skills! And mad men at that! You'll be sending lambs to the slaughterhouse! Set your eyes on the older population and away from my students! Find those who have skills and experience!"

Sirius, ignoring Molly's warning continued on with a tired sigh. "We have to act now! He's growing stronger by the minute. I will not let these kids grow up in anymore of this lifestyle than they already have. The older ones are already aware of the darkness, already aware of Voldemort's return. Fudge is a fool and is refusing to see the signs. We have to start recruiting, we need people to fight with us and at the rate the dark forces are gaining followers we'll need an army!" Sirius shouted, with a heavy sigh. He did not want to involve children, but now a days there were only teenagers and those few in his and Emma's generation that were willing to stand against Voldemort, which wasn't a lot of people.

"You will not bring Harry or Draco into this Sirius Black-"

"Emma-"

"No! He is not James, Sirius. I'm not losing the last thing we have left of James and Lily, nor will I risk Draco or the other's!"

Sirius loved his wife, he knew she had to hear what he knew none of them were going to like, "He's old enough to decide himself, instead of babying the boys why don't you let them decide if **they** want to fight!" He hadn't meant to shout, but her constant nagging and worrying was overwhelming sometimes. With a defeated sigh Sirius sank back into his chair, he'd seen her jaw clenched tightly and her shoulders breathing in deeply, trying to keep herself calm, "I'm sorry… Emma, but they are all old enough to make the choice, just like you and Gabby did. If you can decide to join your fourth year, **FOURTH** year Emma, why can they not choose their fifth year or later on? I don't want to lose any of them any less than any of you. Yes, they are young. Kids? Yes, but they are also growing. Molly, Fred and George have already joined, Bill and Charlie have also- of course, against your wishes, they're your children and you don't want to lose them. But we don't want to see our children and grandchildren to grow up in a community ran by mad men and power-hungry dark wizards that'll kill you simply for standing your ground in what you believe is right. Sacrifices of one's life or childhood is sometimes necessary; our young ones are no longer as innocent as they should have been, nor should still be, because of Voldemort. Harry and the others can help us, eyes and ears."

"Oh yes, involve the boy, maybe he'll grow up to be just like that golden father of his-"

"You leave James out of this _Snivellus_!" Sirius bit out, a hard glare at him.

"Sirius, Severus! Enough, the both of you." The woman spoke up, Tonks had grabbed ahold of Remus's arm after seeing him move beside Sirius once Snape had begun snapping.

Feeling a small hand on his forearm, Remus had glanced down, traveled his eyes up to a young Nymphadora Tonks, who had begun blushing as soon as he began staring at her.

However, Snape had continued mouthing off about James and the rest of the Marauder's for being fools to have ever trusted Peter Pettigrew. To everyone’s shock, Sirius never had the chance to say a word, he was simply going to defend their trust and agree with Snape, but it was Remus who had been the one that had jumped from around Sirius and aimed straight for Snape with fire in his eyes.

"REMUS!" Sirius and Emma both shouted after their friend. Tonks had been the faster, putting herself between Snape and an angry Remus Lupin, but in the process, he had accidentally struck her as she took both herself and Remus down onto the floor, knocking Snape back into a nearby chair. The sudden contact Tonks had taken from Remus had come about in a bloody lip, something she was no stranger to in her line of work.

The moment Remus and realized he had not only hit Tonks, but he had also drawn blood, he'd paled and his stomach flipped with the desire to vomit as he begun fretting and fussing over her, "Dora, I'm so sorry,"

"It's fine, Remus." Her tone was small and soft, she was trying her best not to look at him. Even though she was used to getting hurt on the job she had a heart throbbing crush on Remus John Lupin and the sudden interaction that had happened had caused tears to water her eyes, "Please excuse me." She whispered, heading out of the kitchen and dining area.

Remus had moved for the retreating young woman. He hadn't meant to harm her. However, when someone puts themselves between you and the one you want to hurt many a times they would get hurt in the process. Yet seeing he'd actually hurt Tonks, had him feeling as if he’d been gutted.

He'd given a shocked and worried look when Mad-Eye moved in front of the door, blocking his way after Tonks. "Leave her for a while Remus, she's fine… She's an Auror, Tonks is used to much worse." Alastor said clearly. He knew Remus hadn't meant to hurt her, but she was an Auror and she still needed to toughen up just a little more. She was skilled and very talented, this was part of the title that Auror's held, on and off the job.

As Tonks made her way towards the bathroom up the stairs, she froze mid stride when she found all of the young teenagers in the stairway watching her. Not wanting to speak to anyone at the moment, she quickly continued on her way up and made her way past them.

Ginny and Hermione had worry clear on their face, Ginny made a move for the usually cheerful young woman, "Tonks-"

"I'm fine, really." Quickly making her way into the closest bathroom to clean up her lip and calm her shaking nerves.

“Think she’s really okay?” Alicia asked with soft concern as Tonks shut the door to the nearest restroom.

“She will be, come on. We should be getting to bed. I think we’ve heard enough tonight.” George clarified, there was no room for discussion as the twins made sure everyone was heading into their rooms, whether it was in a group or alone, they didn’t care, just as long as the halls were empty and remained that way.

* * *

**August 26th, 1995**

Sirius sighed, rubbing his face tiredly, they finally had all the second generation there at Grimmauld Place, now all they had to do was explain a few things, then it was their choice.

Emma and Molly had sat down the other night and cooled themselves down from a few nights ago. Now that everyone was under the firm agreement that they did not want them to join the Order. It was still the teens choice, and it was theirs to make.

Sirius had pointed out a good point, Emma and Gabrielle had in fact agreed to help their fourth year, their fifth year they were members, then Marlene and Gabby's family was attacked and wiped out, Gabrielle was the only survivor. Sirius didn't want to involve them, it was the lowest and last thing he'd ever wanted to do, but their choice was theirs, especially once they would be finished talking to them, they weren't children any longer, those in the room; they were young adults or teenagers, capable of their own choices, "We asked you all here, not because we want you to join the Order, in fact we first beginning members really wish we not involve you at all. However, with the way things are turning we're afraid we may have too-"

"Sirius, be careful of how much you say." Mad-Eye interrupted. He had a sinking feeling he didn’t much care for settling in his stomach and it was making him sick. Alastor couldn’t help the stern and sour look about him, this was the **last** thing any of them wanted to do, but Sirius was right, with the way things were going they were going to have to start including them, simple students at a school still, Fred and George he could understand, but even that still didn't make this any easier for them.

"We have been given information that Voldemort is on the move, not only for Followers, which has grown in the last few months, but in dark Magical objects. Draco, your cousin has been helping them recruit in the school itself. These things that are happening, the numbers Voldemort has already recruited, dark objects being created or stolen from high security facilities and magical historical museums, schools being overrun by his followers giving Voldemort the means to get his dirty hooks into young minds to corrupt. And the sudden deaths of those who had gone missing he's either torturing for information or has likely already killed. But… We believe Voldemort is after something this time," Sirius paused for a moment to breathe, he hated telling them this, the look on their faces was that of shock and horror. But what frightened him most was the steel like determination and slight fear on Harry's, Draco's and Alicia's face, they were afraid yes, but at that moment Sirius didn't see them, he saw the faces of James, himself and Lily. Their determination was the exact same mindset as the three had themselves when they'd decided to join the Order their last year, "Something he didn't have last time." His eyes moved to Molly and Emma, they looked frightened.

"We're in," Harry said, "Well, at least I am." He clarified.

"No, Harry's right, we're in." Draco said, glancing at Alicia who nodded, "Yes, I'm in. He and his followers killed my brother and my cousin-”

"No! Alicia, I lost my son, I will not lose my niece as well. You're all I have left." Amos spoke up, everyone could fully understand why he was so against it, none of them, not even Alicia, blamed him for it, but she would be damned before she stepped aside and let everyone else fight this war and her not contribute anything.

With a sigh, Alicia nodded with understanding, but she was doing this with or without his permission. "Uncle Amos, if we sit back and do nothing, Cedric's death would not have been fought for. He died because he stood his ground against someone that he knew had skills ahead of him, because a friend was in a life-threatening danger. He was killed for being himself and fighting for something he believed in, to them he was just in the way, but he was more than that. My brother was murdered in cold blood, the family estate burned to the ground, and my family's money was stolen to fuel their needs. The need of those who are fighting for a Dark world under the rule of someone who wants nothing but power and fear and death in his wake. My brother, my parents, my cousin, your son, were murdered trying to stop them from raising this monster from his weakened state. I will not stand aside and doing nothing when I know I can at least help with mending wounds and fighting if I have too. Those viol people are nothing but cowards if they're going to attack children and drain others livelihood from them and their family. And I am not a coward. I am a Bonnet and a Diggory, they will reap the day they decided it was alright to hurt my family."

_'Talk about a speech, Nice one Allie.'_ Many thoughts with wide smiles as they listened to her. Harry and Amos couldn’t help but feel their hearts swelling up with pride for the young woman. And what a woman she would make in her future.

Sirius was impressed, she had brains and courage. She had Amos smiling weakly, though he was full of pride, his sister and nephew had done astonishing with raising her. They had raised her right and good. For that, he was proud he had found her, had he not Amos had no idea where he'd be after his son had been killed.

"Now, you were saying something about something Voldemort didn't have last time? Is it some kind of weapon he has the ability to use?" Alicia asked Sirius, she had gone right back to the previous conversation.

This had taken many off guard, though Sirius grinned and held back his light laughter, "Uh, yes, of some sort. If he gets his hands on it, then he can achieve many things and we are down ten steps from him with him halfway to a makeshift throne."

"We're in," Hermione and Ron spoke up together, both smiling to one another as they did it, both trying not to laugh. They all saw the blush on Hermione's face as Ron glanced off out of the corner of his eye at her when she turned her attention back to a grinning Ginny, who gave Hermione a knowing look.

"What?" Hermione asked the young Weasley sister, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Nothing," Ginny said with a few shakes of her head, her eyes finding a grinning Tonks. At least they found something to smile and laugh about during that meeting, all of the Adults were under the impression it was going to be a full-on hard decision and conversation with tension they could probably cut with a butcher’s knife.

* * *

**August 28th, 1995**

The Hearing had been long and frightening, Arthur had informed Harry he could not go in with him and Draco. He had suggested Emma and Sirius do their best to let Harry defend himself. "Dumbledore will be here shortly, good luck though Harry." He'd really just wished him luck because they had spotted Fudge speaking off in the corner down one of the halls with none other than Lucius Malfoy. Draco had sent a glare towards his father, who’d simply stuck his nose up at them and continued on with Fudge.

After an hour of Harry being verbally attacked and none of them, not even Fudge, seeing why Harry had used magic in the Muggle world underage and in front of Dudley, Draco had jumped from his seat and shouted. "I was there! I was a witness! Those blasted things came out of nowhere attacking myself, Harry and his daft cousin, a muggle no less. I was incapacitated, completely useless. Had Harry not fought back when he had there would be one dead muggle boy and one dead young wizard and a half mad one because he'd have lost another family member and one of his friends! How is this court hearing even fair in any means? The only thing you lot care about is degrading and expelling a young wizard who stood his ground and saved not only his own life but two others as well!" Draco barked, outraged at their belief on this.

"SILENCE!" Fudge shouted, red in the face, but Draco stood his ground. Fudge had begun attacking Harry that had angered him to no end, but when he began breaking down Mrs. Figg's testimony, Draco had lost it and had done all he could without having an angry shouting match, Umbridge also was not helping, her little squeaky laugh was really beginning to get annoying.

Emma and Sirius had done their part to staying seated and as silent as possible, but the moment Draco took a stand they did their best not to laugh at how he had put them all in their places, even when the young man was angry Draco had a talent for Politics and arguments. Something he likely got from watching his father. but Draco was in the right to stand for what he knew was right and wrong, unfortunately he was not in the chair for his testimony because they had not included him, saying Harry was the only one present at the time of the attack, then had broken an entry into the Dursley’s home.

"He was alone Mr. Malfoy, how is it you know this? Or are you simply making a stand to try getting your young friend out of trouble." Fudge scolded the boy.

"Because I was there, ask Mrs. Figg, she even said, _“two young wizards, and a muggle boy was attacked,”_ She found us! She walked us to the Dursley’s! If you read the report properly, **_Minister_** , I'm sure you'd see it, or are your glasses failing again? Not to mention that I am not blind Minster Fudge. I saw you talking with my father, as did several others sitting in this courtroom! Lucius Malfoy, my own father, is a viper! A silver-tongued viper, who has his teeth in you because you want to be a fool and refuse to believe Cedric Diggory was murdered in cold blood by a man named Peter Pettigrew on Voldemort’s order! The letter that was sent to Harry the night of the attack even stated I was there because that crazy Uncle of his not only attacked us and disarmed us of our wands by side blinding us, it clearly stated both our wands had been confiscated! So please, clarify for me why my wand would have been confiscated during this time if you are all claiming I was never there! And **_if_** I was not there then please clarify for me where my whereabouts were! I know your sources are very precise when it comes to under-aged witches and wizard’s use of magic off school grounds. Each ministry and school hold’s very detailed records. Where’s your proof saying I was not with Harry the night he, myself and his muggle cousin, Dudley Dursley, were attacked." Draco was done with this. He was not going to allow this to happen. They had no proof he was not with Harry. They wanted the boy removed from Hogwarts because he was a threat to Fudge’s sanity and at keeping this a secret of Voldemort’s return and pending power gain.

Gasps escaped everyone in the room, he supposed a few of them had had enough with Fudges rubbish in that courtroom as well, especially after what he had said to Dumbledore about mere magical use and the right to defend one's self if need be; **_"Laws can be changed!"_**

But that was the problem with that law, it was put in place because everyone had a right to defend themselves, young and underage, old and half dead. They all had the right to defend themselves magically, if need be in the full view of the Muggle public. There was no changing that, because no one would, first of all, vote to change it, and **2)** No one would abide by it. So, Fudge was basically contradicting himself and digging himself a deeper retirement grave for his career.

However, Draco was glad that one of the judges on the Council had moved to motion for a vote to charge Harry or remove the charges that were placed upon him. Harry had been cleared of all charges, to Fudge's ever last disappointment.

Fudge wanted Harry out of school, away from Hogwarts.

Lucius had Fudge so far under his nail it was becoming noticeable, here is where Umbridge came into Lucius's plan. He'd step aside and allow Umbridge to 'council' Cornelius, promising that once Fudge was proven unable to perform his job properly that he would be removed from his chair and office and she, Deloris Umbridge, would become Minister of Magic.

Umbridge had fed this idea to her ego so high she had done exactly as she was instructed firstly then began her own plans. And to those involved in this scheme, were a bit shocked that her plans were working. That night, Umbridge had a personal discussion with Fudge, explaining that Dumbledore was up to many things and possibly after his job, feeding the fear into Cornelius that he was being pushed from his station by someone who was once a close friend.

* * *

They had all celebrated that night, but Harry had been disappointed that Dumbledore had fully ignored him when Harry tried thanking him for his help, "Does anyone happen to know what's going on with Professor Dumbledore?" He'd hoped someone could give him a reason, but no one had an answer as to what was going on, they had all notice his strangeness and were all becoming worried, worried enough that Emma had revoked her temporary resignation and would be going back to Hogwarts.

Both her and Sirius had agreed they'd Floo to and from the Potter Estate, which had become their permanent home and left Grimmauld Place as Head Quarters. The couple would be taking turns assisting around Hogwarts as Security and an aide in the classrooms when needed. Something Dumbledore greatly appreciated, especially after he'd received clear news that was not up for debate, nor up for questioning.

To everyone's despair, a mass notice had gone out to student aids and staff alike informing them Deloris Umbridge was to be joining them as the new Defense against the Dark Arts Professor. This had sent Emma and the Snape's into a frenzy.

"She doesn't even qualify! She has no experience as a teacher's aide, and not to mention her profile from the Ministry states she has never had a desire to work with children!" Mellena screamed, fuming as she cooked and cleaned through the kitchen at the Potter Estate.

Emma gave Mellean the time in the kitchen this time around, cleaning and cooking while they fumed was their coping mechanism, and Mellena was definitely angry. "Severus has been trying to get that job for years, he obviously has the qualifications. Not to mention he has experience with the children and has more right to -"

Dumbledore sighed, stopping Mellena in her tracks.

Mellena turned to him with wide eyes of disbelief, giving her grandfather a look of _'Really?'_ as she watched him set his tea-cup down and held his head in his free hand, eyes closed tightly, "Mellena, dear, please? Your making my head ache." Dumbledore grumbled, "It's not like I really had much of a choice. Believe me dear child I was about to offer the job to Severus. However, I was required to look for a different person to be able to teach the class or someone with both qualifications to take over Potions, but you know how Severus is, he despises anyone besides you or Emma from taking over his class while he's away. Umbridge has something deeper planned, and it's nothing to do with helping Cornelius. She's sneaky that one. I have no evidence of anything, it's all speculation and assumption. Fudge no longer trusts me."

* * *

**September 1, 1995**

Molly and Andromeda had dropped off the children, Athella and Horus staying close with the Weasley twins with excitement. Though, Fred had to convince Athella it would be alright to leave them once they were unloaded from the train, she didn't want to leave them. "You can come right back to me once you've been done and sorted." Fred said with his usual smile and full of confidence in her and Horus.

But Athella wasn't feeling confident at all, she was terrified, "But what if we don't get sorted into Gryffindor?" She pouted with worry, her worst fear was not being in the same house as her brother and the twins. However, down the lane of the unloading students. Athella had witnessed Harry nearly going after Finn Malfoy. "See what I've been tellin' you, he's completely lost it!"

"Just stay away from me!" Harry shouted after the dark hair Malfoy who just laughed at him like he was a psychopath.

"Not in your dreams Potter! I enjoy watching you squirm!" Finn shouted back.


	34. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 34 **

* * *

Sorting went as usual, until it came towards the end, and all that was left was Horus and Athella 'Dumbledore' and Alicia Bonnet.

Albus Dumbledore had stopped McGonagall from making the announcement herself, they were, after all, his own grandchildren, well, great-grandchildren. "We have not only a new student, a transfer actually, she'll be attending as a fourth year, but still new. So, give her the Hogwarts welcome!"

Everyone clapped and cheered making Alicia blush and giggle, the twins had jumped up and down with excitement and hugged her and Alicia gladly returned their hugs.

"Miss Bonnet, if you will. Minerva, I do apologize. However, I'd like the pleasure of setting our precious Hat atop Miss Bonnet's head, and the twins." Albus said to her with a pleased smile.

Minerva held no offence, simply smiling wide and handed the Hat over to the Headmaster.

"Bonnet? Isn't that Cedric's cousin his father found last year?"

"She was one of the Beauxbaton girls we had here last year."

"Cute butt,"

**SMACK**

"Ouch! What was that for Crabb!"

"I didn't do it Finn," Crabb sputtered and glared as a brown-haired boy walked past them snickering silently, "What are you laughin' at Morgan!"

"You're stupidity, the lot of you." The boy laughed and headed off to find a seat, "That's for making the perverted comment about Bonnet's behind, Malfoy. Watch yourself or you'll be answering to **me**." Morgan said with a warning grin.

Finn and the rest were left confused, the boy transferred at the end of last year and had only spent the last few weeks in Slytherin, he had stayed to himself.

Curious about the boy more than he had been previously, Finn watched him carefully out of the corner of his eye as he barely listened to others around him, especially Pansy, the girl had been trying to gain Draco’s favor for ever before Finn arrived, her eyes had been diverted to Finn after Draco had been ‘Re-sorted’. Finn found the girl a bit annoying, then again, he found just about everyone annoying, especially Lavender Brown! The girl was constantly rounding the corners on him and he’d be forced to quickly maneuver his way around her or shove the girl out of his way. The worst annoyance of the girl was that he couldn’t get her face out of his head, let alone her stupid laugh! "What is going on?" Finn whispered to himself in confusion. His curiosity finally gaining the upper hand, Finn moved a bit towards the boy to question him. "Morgan, why the sudden outburst over some piece of leg?" Finn laughed out, he had gotten a reaction from the boy after all, he was going to try and enjoy it as much as he could.

Morgan was red in the face, _'Don't swing, don't swing. You promised Dumbledore.'_ The boy mentally chanted with clenching fists. Taking a calm breath Morgan gave a simple answer, one he knew would shut them up. "I knew her cousin." Morgan growled, sitting as Alicia began being sorted, a happy smile on his face, no dreamy eyed look, just one of happiness and pride.

"Loyal, wise, cunning, Creative and accepts even the harshest of realities. I see you have quite the motivation. I see all sorts of traits, a cousin of Hufflepuff, sadly fallen to a battle of honor, loyalty and bravery. No more tears I will tell you to cry, for Wisdom is where your bravery shall lie, but don't believe the fear and distance shall forever keep you from your chosen Lion dear girl, for you have wings, so let them help you fly, for a future I see. RAVENCLAW I DECLARE!"

Finn was curious as he studied the boy watching Alicia and wondered why Morgan had become so suddenly protective of the girl when he likely had no idea who she was.

Even though she was sorted into a different house the Gryffindor's who were close and dear to her clapped and cheered for her. A smiling Harry who stood from his seat and laughed when Alicia ran into his arms and kissed his cheek gladly before moving off to her new house table.

Alicia had no idea where to sit until her blue eyes landed on Cho sitting a few spaces away from a girl with long, platinum blonde hair that waved down her back. The girl seemed to be enjoying her pudding in silence as everyone converse around her, completely ignoring her. Alicia smiled wide, waving at Cho as the girl stood from her seat and the two girls shared a tight hug. Taking her seat next to Cho and the blonde, Alicia chose to scoot a bit closer to the lonely girl who turned a welcomed smile to Alicia.

"Hello, I'm Luna. Luna Lovegood," her voice was soft and timid yet welcoming and pleasing. Luna made Alicia smile with gratitude, "Alicia Bonnet, nice to meet you Luna."

Albus cleared his throat as he smiled at how excited Alicia and many others were for the girl to join their school. "We also have two very special young minds joining us from here on out. My very own Grandchildren. I shall also be taking the pleasure tonight to place the Hat upon their heads." Albus said smiling with glee.

Many students whispered at how unique it was that the Head Master place the Hat atop someone's head himself, because it never happened, not in their time's before. Many were shocked that Dumbledore had grandchildren, then came to the conclusion, "Professor Blue is his daughter?" they spoke with full shock around the room.

"Athella, please take your seat," Dumbledore said smiling as his great-granddaughter bounced her way up with excitement, and the sorting began. "Brave and courageous, just like your parents, I see wisdom, trickery, full of fun and mischief with laughter to soar, a heart of fire is set inside you! GRYFFINDOR, I ROAR!" the Hat sang. Athella jumped with excitement and had the thought deep down that her brother would be with her shortly, and why would she not believe that to be? They had never been separated. She was happy she had taken the time to hug him tightly before jumping up and down with excitement and ran down the aisles and into Fred's arms, who lifted her up into a hug. Now it was Horus's turn.

They all watched, holding their breaths as Horus walked up nervously as Dumbledore set the Hat upon his dirty blond hair, "Hm, difficult choice dear boy… I placed your father in Slytherin and regretted it. I'd hate to make the same mistake again with his son. However, I see talents, as usual in our students here, but you my boy, are different. The love for your family and your many skills compared to many others here. However, I see a promising future with either side, but separation is in order to help you achieve an understanding of things. Bright and cunning, a strong boy you are, brave and courageous. You're right in knowing that there are many different meanings of the term bravery. Weigh your options my boy and you shall achieve much for what is to come. However, I shall sing the graces this time towards…. SLYTHERIN!"

Even though Horus had wanted to be with his sister, he knew they'd have felt comfortable in either house, both of them had an understanding of each house, especially since they pretty much grew up in the castle. However, his smile wasn't as big as he'd wished it was, he had been separated from Athella, from Harry and the twins, from Ron and Hermione, even Draco. Yet he knew he'd be alright.

"Thank you." He whispered to the Hat and took his walk towards the clapping Slytherin's, taking a seat where he thought was away from a few people, he only had two things that worried him, Finn Malfoy and his crazy groupies.

All the while he'd made his walk, the Hat gave a silent wishful luck to the boy he'd just sorted, this time he knew he made the right choice.

Horus hadn’t noticed Finn's grin, nor him and a few of his groupies move down towards him, all he knew was the seated beam moved from a heavy weight next to him causing the boy to look up and found an older boy smiling down at him with a nod and patted his back, "They won't get near you kid." Horus actually felt safe under the boy’s gaze.

Morgan's smile turned up sarcastically at Finn and the others, smiling wide. They knew it was fake from the glare in his eyes, something they'd never seen on him before. A threat.

Finns' group had moved back to their previous seats and stayed there, sending glares their way, namely to Morgan as the two boys talked and laughed. Everyone at the Gryffindor table stared in wonder and fear, no one knew Morgan, he seemed closed off from many others, kept to himself but the way he interacted with Horus and continued glaring grins at Finn was like he was silently telling the group to back off and keep their distance. Something that the Gryffindor's had made note of and a silent promise to them all that they'd keep a close eye on Horus and Morgan from a distance.

Entering the Gryffindor common room didn't seem all to fun as Athella had thought it would be, same had gone for Horus as he entered the Slytherin Common Room, Horus was just glad he had found someone that he knew he felt safe with. They had talked throughout dinner, Morgan explained to him that he knew Alicia's cousin, Cedric. The memory of Cedric had nearly made the first-year cry all over again, but he fought the tears back, **_"He was a good guy, I liked him. He was funny, and Cho is a nice girl. Alicia and Harry were nearly destroyed when we said goodbye."_**

Morgan had sighed with a nod _, **"Yeah, he was… I transferred here to keep an eye out for a few of his friends, Slytherin supported my traits though and unfortunately no one seems to be very friendly towards a Slytherin, either that or I’m just not approachable like I thought… He said Cho was a beauty, but I never thought he actually meant the definition of it."**_

Horus grinned as he ate his dinner _, **"I can introduce the two of you? Or Harry can, he’s dating Alicia after all and Cho is best friends with her as it is."**_

* * *

Harry wasn't having much luck in his own house when Seamus verbally charged him. Harry had bit right back. "So, you believe a paper, but you won't believe someone who's been a friend for four years, I see how it is. Believe the Daily Prophet along with that mother of yours."

Athella had gasped and moved behind the twins and Angelina as the scene unfolded. They were all thankful when Ron walked in on the scene, completely confused. "What's going on here?"

"He's bloody mad that's what! Can you believe the things he's been sayin' abou' you-know-who!?" Seamus shouted in outrage, he'd nearly been forced to stay home this year because of it.

Ron, in total shock at Seamus, had put himself between the two, "Yeah, Yeah I do. Harry's no fool Seamus, he and Cedric both went through terrible things last year in that Tournament. Harry isn't a liar, especially when it comes to a friend of his being murdered… Come on Harry." And the two rushed up the stairs.

Fearful of what would happen when Seamus appeared to be going after them, Athella maneuvered around the older students and out to find Draco. She was relieved when she had found the blond walking along the changing staircases with Ginny. "Draco… Draco!"

"Hey kitten, what's up-wow, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Harry and Seamus." She panted out, in truth she may have grown up there in the castle, but she'd never had to run up the stairs and jump them as they changed, that in itself was something she had done out of sheer stupidity and worry that Harry and Seamus may be going at one another as they spoke.

That was all Draco and Ginny needed.

Draco had seen Seamus and many others off away from them and sending glances and glares towards Harry, he just didn't think someone would get in Harry's face about it… Yet. "Oh, crap. Come on, Ginny." And the three were back off towards the common room, Draco sending a slightly disappointed look towards Seamus with a shake of his head when he arrived only to hear Seamus talking about Harry and arguing with Fred and George that Draco hadn’t really expected the boy to say anything to him regarding his action.

"What a'e you lookin' at Malfoy!" Seamus fumed. He was already getting an earful from Fred and George, he didn’t need Draco’s rubbish on top of everything else. Though he had regretted his words instantly.

This had Draco freezing mid-stride up the steps and taking a few steps towards Seamus, a look of disbelief, "What was that?"

In pure panic, Ginny moved between Draco and Seamus, grabbing ahold of one of his arms as she gently pushed him back towards the steps with her other hand pressed against his chest. To everyone it looked pretty intimate, to them it was just instinct and felt normal, even with his hands on her hips, debating with himself if he wanted to maneuver her around him so he could slug Seamus a good one, "Draco, no. Go… Just go see to Ron and Harry." When he didn't answer her, she put a bit more strength into her push sending him back a bit more, drawing his attention to her with a grin and a hidden laugh, "Draco!"

"Yes, I know Firefly. Harry and Ron… I'm going." With that he moved to go up but with her so taken off guard Draco had grinned and decided to do something he'd been dying to do for a while. He glided across the floor and the short distance between them and kissed Ginny twice in a row quickly then proceeded to go up to the boy's common room, leaving Ginny standing in said spot unmoving, blushing and smiling and every other girl in the room present gasping and smiling wide with shock and excitement. Fred and George simply grinned while Athella giggled behind the twins.

"I said I'm fine, Ron." Harry barked at his friend, Draco had walked in just as Harry began to bark out at their red headed friend and decided it was time he stepped in then when Ron took a sad and shocked step back, "Whoa, hey there… Harry calm down-"

"Draco, don't start, not now." Harry sighed with irritation as he kicked his trunk and Ron decided it wise to take a few more steps back from the blond as his face went from trying to calm Harry down to wanting to strangle his friend like brother.

"Ron, why don't we just go back downstairs. Give Jamie here sometime to his thoughts." Draco said suggestively, he hadn’t waited for Ron's response. Draco was already out the dorm rooms doors and down the steps, "Draco… Hey!" Ron said resting a gripped hand on his friend's shoulder making the blond stop and turn to him, "Try to relax."

Sighing with a nod, the two moved on out and went for a small walk around. In the short time Draco had walked up to the dorm rooms for Harry and Ron, Ginny had gone somewhere with a small group of her friends each one giggling and talking about Draco kissing her in full view of not only the Gryffindor Common room but two of her brothers.

* * *

**12 Grimmauld Place**

Tonks had heard a few things while at the Ministry and the information that was leaking through with rumors didn't sound so pleasant, she had called a meeting at Grimmauld place, currently her and Remus were the only ones there. After the incident had happened, she had been bombarded by apologies by Remus, he was still apologizing. "How are you doing Nymphadora?"

She wanted to blush simply because he was speaking to her, all though, hearing her full name run off his lips had ignited her irritation bringing on the morphing action her hair does from the happy purple to an angry Orange red as she turned a stern glare onto Remus Lupin, "Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus… Please, I hate my full name, it's only for my parents when I'm in trouble and that was only when I was a child. I'm not a child."

Remus, seeing her anger, held his hands up in a mock surrender, grinning as he eyed her, he hadn't exactly meant too but he couldn't help it. She was beautiful, "Anyone ever tell you your unique hair makes you even more breathtaking?" Remus lightly laughed at her blushing cheeks as her hair once again morphed from angry orange to pinkish purple.

Sadly, the answer she'd have given him was no, no one had ever said that. Tonks had never really been interested in anyone. Remus had been the first person that had caught her attention. His voice could make her heart skipped three beats and her breath catch in her chest. But she kept that to herself and simply smiled, looking to the floor.

"So, Dora," Remus began, redeeming himself after using her full name, "What was so important?"

"Oh, um. I overheard something about Fudge and Umbridge planning to remove Dumbledore from office, but he's being refused the signatures of the Governors. Dumbledore rules the school perfectly fine without issue, but now he and Umbridge are trying to use the last four years against him, even worse, they're going to call a full hearing to remove him, they'll likely use Cedric’s death against him as well." She informed the man, watching as he sat on the study's sofa with a sigh.

"That is a problem. If they remove Dumbledore and place Umbridge in his place that school will lose Defense against the dark arts the moment she's got Hogwarts in her grasp."

"She's already removing Dark Arts. The Ministry has already intervened and Umbridge has taken the position of Dark Arts Professor and changed the syllabus." Sirius spoke up walking in with Emma, both holding sleeping twins. Tonks, adoring the babies, moved over to Emma holding Lilian and asked to hold her, "By the way Tonks, I have a question? Actually, it's something we both want to ask the two of you, Remus, Tonks." Emma asked, her emerald eyes sparkling with delight.

"Yes, anything as long as I get to hold these precious gifts." Tonks said with a huge smile, her eyes never leaving the sleeping little girl.

Remus nodded with a smile as he watched Tonks with the baby girl.

Both Sirius and Emma grinned happily at one another, Sirius giving a nod and a wink to Emma, "Remus Lupin, Dora Tonks… We'd like you to be the Godparents." This drew Tonks attention from the baby girl with a bright smile, happy tears in her eyes, "Yes, I'd love to."

Remus had been nearly as shocked as Tonks and smiled, "I'd be most honored. Now, may I hold my Godson?" he asked standing from the sofa.

Sirius smiled and handed off his waking son to Remus, "Of course." Both parents smiled with some shock when Orion only whimpered trying to wake up and fell right back asleep once he was placed into Remus's arms. Both godparents glancing to one another under their lashes with wide smiles, Tonks blushing the entire time they shared that look.

Sirius and Emma grinned as they watched the scene between Remus and Tonks, sharing a knowing look themselves. They knew the sight of Tonks holding Lillian had likely been Remus’s undoing.


	35. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 35 **

* * *

Umbridge was crazy, the students had been forced to use a ridiculous excuse of a Defense Against the Dark Arts replacement. She had explained that no one in her class should feel the need to use magic in her class for any form of defense. Many were confused and upset, if they didn’t learn in school how to defend themselves and their families as adults then where would they be? Lavender’s sarcastic answer to Cho had been “Dead by murder or jobless.” Which the Ravenclaw had sadly agreed upon.

"So how are we to defend ourselves?" Draco asked what everyone else had wished to say, sharing an equally confused look with Neville and Dean.

Umbridge grinned with her humorous grin, she found this funny. She was good at manipulating, but she figured she could easily manipulate the classrooms then it was the staff’s turn. She already had Filch on her end, "Why on earth would you need to use spells?" Umbridge asked with a squeaking giggle.

Huffing with pure annoyance, Hermione threw politeness out the window and spoke up instead of her usual raised hand out of respect, this woman held no form of respect from Hermione simply because the so called ‘Professor’ gave none in the first place, “Professor, if we don’t learn the spells to defend ourselves now then we won’t be able to defend ourselves as adults.” Hermione stated, earning a twitched grin from Umbridge. An action that simply irked Hermione more. The woman hated children, especially teenagers. And yet she was at a school to educate children.

Umbridge drew in a deep breath, her eyes burning into Hermione’s, “Who in their right mind would want to attack children?” she said calmly. She needed to get them to believe there was absolutely nothing dangerous out in the Wizarding world that could hurt them. The younger classes, first years and second years, would be easier. The older students she knew would be more difficult and hard headed since they previously had other teachers going through assignments regarding magical creatures. And the fact that many of them knew what an Auror was also left her finding it harder to get the older students to see her side of reason. Seemed she’d just have to force them. The other problem was Harry Potter and his ragtag team of friends, not to mention that Aunt and Uncle of his.

Her last theory came into action upon Hearing Harry’s rather irritated and angry voice. "Um, I don't know, maybe Voldemort." Harry piped up finding her more annoying than ever.

"Now, let me make this very clear to you all… You have been told that there is a dark Wizard out there… This. Is. A. Lie." She said calmly yet childishly as if she were counseling a five-year-old, her words being directed towards Harry.

"No, it's not! I saw him, I fought him! He is real! Voldemort is alive!" Harry roared with anger and disbelief. He got this during his hearing, he didn’t need her rubbish at the school.

"No, he isn't Mr. Potter. I'm sorry to say that your illusion and charades are no longer funny,"

Completely baffled she had accused him of this being a charade regarding Cedric’s death Harry's mind ceased all logical argument and turned to an angry young man simply wishing some form of Authority believe him. "Charades? So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord!" Harry shouted, defending himself on the allegations of being called a liar.

Umbridge had lost her temper, her pale face had gone red, her hands tightly clenched like she was about to explode, "ENOUGH!" she finally screamed, taking a few deep breaths she put her calm mask back on and smiled at Harry, a glint in her eyes that none of her students liked, even Finn seemed afraid of her and worried for Harry, "Detention, Mr. Potter. My office."

The class fell silent, Harry silently fuming and attended his detention after classes were over, he'd been told to write with a special quill "I must not tell lies". Unfortunately he began to feel pain in his left hand and to his horror, he found the words being etched into his hand making the boy freeze in fear as he stared at the now bleeding wound. He'd been released after that.

* * *

** Common room **

"She's insane!" Harry shouted the second he got into his dorm room, startling Neville and nearly scaring Ron off his bed he'd been resting against comfortably. "What happened?" Ron asked with worry.

Neville moved from his bed over to Ron's as both boys watched him fume, "She's utterly insane, no magic in defense class, Cedric's 'sudden' and unfortunate death is total crap. They're covering up Cedric's murder because the Ministry doesn't want to believe that Voldemort is back and on his way with more plans! How many deaths are going to have to happen before they believe us!" Harry fumed. "… Where's Draco?" He'd finally realized they were one friend short in the common room, "Oh, he's out with Ginny." Ron informed him with a grin.

This news had Harry's brow raise with confusion and wonder. "And you all are alright with him and Ginny?"

"Yeah, I mean she's one of the only people that can calm him down really, they've always liked hanging out, you know after he changed and started living with you and Aunt Em. I think they're wonderful together, but he knows if he hurts her, he'll have all her brothers breathing down his neck." Ron laughed, "Oh hey Draco, how was the walk?" Ron piped up after seeing Draco grinning at him and leaning against the wall of the room.

"It was great, we walked to Hogsmeade got some candy and had a butterbeer and then came back." He said with a happy smile.

"Heard Umbridge gave you a hard one Jamie, what did the hippo do this time - what's that?" His blue eyes had caught sight of something on Harry's hand, but with the distance he wasn't sure if he was having a trick of the light happening. He’s suspicions were confirmed when Harry seemed to panic a bit, "Nothing."

Draco, for the time being, had nodded and let the topic slide, _'Definitely going to talk to Ron and Hermione about that,'_

Yet, when Hermione had called him out of in a few nights later Harry had blown her off.

"Harry, the woman is torturing you!" Ron scolded with a gentle whisper, he really didn't want to draw attention to Harry any more than there already was since they'd been back, but the boy needed to talk about this.

Through the month of September since they had returned, they had all noticed, even Alicia, that Harry had begun to distance himself. "Harry, you need to tell Dumbledore, or at least your aunt and Sirius."

"Yeah Harry, if they know of this-"

"And they aren't going too, they have enough on their plates! You don’t understand." Harry sighed.

"Then help us too, we just want to help you Harry." Draco sighed, his words obviously hadn't reached Harry as he walked away. Draco was now done with Harry not doing anything about this. "I'm done, this ends now. Hermione would you and Ron care to join me with a meeting with McGonagall?"

"I agree, come on." They were off in search of McGonagall. They thought they were lucky when they saw her in her office, yet the group had no idea she was in the middle of a meeting, "Professor- uh oh." Draco and the others had walked in on a meeting in McGonagall's office.

Those present were the very people Harry had sincerely not wanted told, "Yes, Mr. Malfoy, can we help you?" Minerva asked, a bit annoyed her meeting had been interrupted, none of them were enjoying the meeting, "Um," Draco had no idea what to do, he just wanted to speak with the head of Gryffindor house not everyone.

However, Hermione had been the one to step up, a roll of her eyes at Draco, "We have a problem Professor. Umbridge has this quill that marks anyone that uses it as to what they have written, she used it on Harry a few nights ago. He has 'I must not tell lies' carved into his left hand! He refuses to tell any of you. We are tired of Umbridge's methods of punishment. It's horrible and unjust and she does it without cause, that is not something that should be used as a punishment."

Minerva sighed and covered her face with her hands, this was not the time for Hermione to be bringing this to them, especially with how infuriated Emma already was, this would only anger the woman farther. "You are not the only ones bringing this to our attention. However, I believe you have interrupted a meeting. Please wait in the halls and I will speak with you three when this is over. Thank you, students."

Confused, the three stepped out, they had been nearly petrified by Emma's screaming. "Now my nephew! That old bat is carving up our students with no regard of the rules! Minerva, if Dumbledore refuses to do something about that bitch, I'll be saying something! Especially since the cow has Mellena, Sirius and myself being removed from Hogwarts simply because our children are here!"

“Albus has his hands tied Emma! He can’t do much without that infuriating woman, let alone Cornelius knowing about it!” McGonagall scolded.

Draco let a breath out with wide eyes, "I don't think that was wise Hermione-" The door burst open, a fuming Emma rushing out, heading in the direction of Dumbledore's office with infuriating steps. "Bloody coward is what he is Minerva! I have a few choice words I'll be saying with him, most importantly to Fudge, if the damn coward would see me!"

"Emma! Emma no! Come back here young Lady I was not finished- oh blast!" Minerva shouted after the retreating redhead rushing from the Transfiguration Professor’s office, "That woman is going to find herself in a grave soon if she doesn't slow down." McGonagall sighed. Hope returned to McGonagall and quickly turned towards Sirius. "Oh, Sirius please go after her." Minerva begged him as he and the others came out with a sigh.

Sighing tiredly his eyes glanced after his fleeting wife’s back as she rounded the corner, vanishing from their sight. "I can try Minerva, but I give no promises. When Fox is as angry as she is it's a bit-" Sirius was silenced by the sudden sound of a stern and irritated tone from Umbridge just down the hall.

**-Umbridge vs Emma-**

"Professor Fox what exactly are you accusing me of?" Umbridge fumed.

Sirius sighed and rubbed his forehead with worry, "Shit, Blue, she ran into Umbridge. Actually, you may want to bring Snape. With Remus not here either we may just need the backup. I rather much like the idea of my wife remaining clear of assault charges." He sighed. Unfortunately, Sirius had a strong impression that even Snape wouldn’t do anything to stop Emma from going after the Hag.

"I'm accusing you of bloody torture you Psychotically deranged Witch!" Emma roared.

Dolores was shocked, nearly staggering back, mouth gaping open as she stared at the very pissed off redhead, "E-Ex-Excuse me! What did you just say to me!" Umbridge screamed, absolutely outraged, and understandably so. She was being verbally attacked and insulted, who wouldn't be shocked, let alone offended?

However, Umbridge was not used to someone confronting her like Emma was, at all actually. She never liked being in situations like this, she had always had so much power over others that she was used to looking down on people like she was their queen. Now, she was being knocked from her high clouded almighty thrown she was used to sitting on and being slammed into the harsh ground.

"Oh please, I know you’re not that deaf, Dolores Umbridge! You're using that torturous quill on Hogwarts students as a bull shit excuse punishment to sate your psychotic ego! You will rule the day you decided that, that medieval quill was adequate in detention punishments you old Hag!" Now, granted, Umbridge wasn’t exactly ‘Old’, Emma was just resulting to childish name calling so she didn’t flick the psychotic Witch across the halls! And it was shockingly working. Emma hadn’t necessarily had the erg to reach for her wand… Yet. Understandably, Emma could have done a far better job at handling that situation, however, her anger had already been pushed as far as it could have gone, then being informed during her boiling anger that Umbridge had used it on her nephew, a nephew who'd she and her Husband had just adopted as their own son had sent Emma falling right over the edge and into the boiling hot waters of deep seated anger.

Red in the face, and more than humiliated, Umbridge snapped, of course she was being insulted in front of not only the Headmaster but others as well with ears in the area. Dolores had gone full on thermal, and why shouldn’t she? Her practice was being questioned, but the worst of it, she had been caught and called out on her unethical tactics and her mask had just been slapped off her masquerade face, "PROFESSOR FOX! YOU CAN FIND YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT OF HOGWARTS AND REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THESE GROUNDS AT ONCE!" Umbridge screeched, she thought that would have gotten Emma's attention, she wasn't expecting her to go right back at her, adding more injury to Umbridge's already damaged pride.

Grinning wickedly to the red-faced woman, Emma stepped up the next few steps, equaling the ground level with both the Witches, "You have no **power** in that department Dolores Umbridge, and from the grinning nature on Dumbledore's face I'm under the impression you're standing this ground on your own. You're here as a **_teacher_**. Ministry background or not, here you are a **_Professor_**. Why don't you knock yourself down a few damned pegs and off the blasted high and mighty horse you have your enlarging ego on and join us on earth! Maybe then you’ll be able to finally stand on your own two feet instead of sneaking through the hairs and pockets of others. Now, **_Professor_** , I believe I need to speak with the ** _Headmaster_** , someone that isn’t you." Emma said, huffing and puffing as she walked around the mouth gaping Dark Arts Professor, and to Umbridge’s embarrassment they had witnesses in the form of a grinning Sirius, Minerva - who was trying not to laugh –, a snickering Mellena and Severs Snape doing a very fine job at biting back his laugh by coughing here and there as Dolores too huffed, turning to watch Emma being escorted towards Dumbledore's office.

"Well done **_Professor_**. I believe you just found yourself a Lion in the snake’s den with just as much poisonous bite as your own. If not more so poisonous if I dare say so myself." Minerva complemented, taking in a prideful breath as she walked away with the happiest smile on her face. At this, Minerva was filled with a strong sense of pride in Emma. Even though the name calling could have been left out, by a lot, Emma had definitely knocked Umbridge down a few steps from her sky-high castle.


	36. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 36 **

* * *

The months were not kind to anyone, Harry and the rest were still under the cruel scrutiny of Umbridge. Dumbledore had been forced to allow it, he had no authority anymore, and Fudge was beginning to spiral out of control. Worst of all winter had set in and Emma and the Professors, namely Mellena, Emma and Sirius, were forced to be removed from teaching and the security of Hogwarts.

Umbridge had told Cornelius that the Professors could not do their jobs properly if they were the parents or close relatives of students attending Hogwarts, Cornelius had allowed it. With Lucius and Umbridge whispering into his ears, his paranoia was growing into constant fear. It wasn't helping the fact that there was a rumor spreading through the school that there was a secret organization among the students who were practicing Defense against the Dark Arts without permission.

Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco had started it, but had named the Organization **"Dumbledore's Army,"** and without thinking of it, they had all signed their names to the parchment. The twins, all three sets; the Weasley's, the Dumbledore's, and the Patil twins were a part of the Organization, along with Alicia, Morgan, Cho - who Morgan had grown close to over the few months of their meetings and practices-, Neville, Ginny and Luna and many others who had joined. They had taken a Photo together of the second-Generation Order of the Phoenix with a new name of Dumbledore's Army for those at School and still in training to defend themselves.

Emma and Sirius had given Harry a photo of the first Order of the Phoenix. "Marlene and Gabrielle McKinnon," Sirius said, a sad tone in his voice, "Voldemort wiped out their entire family just two weeks after we took this. Your Aunt barely survived their funeral. You're parents, and Remus over here. Emma and myself right next to them." Sirius had name off every person in the photograph. James had an arm wrapped around Lily and Sirius’s arms around Emma protectively as she held Gabrielle's hand, who had Marlene's arm wrapped around her, all smiling with pride.

Harry looked at the photo sadly before glancing to Sirius, "So, both Gabrielle and Marlene were killed then?"

Sirius had taken a hesitating breath, it wasn't exactly a lie, in some way Gabrielle was dead, "Yes, Marlene is dead. And in some ways, Gabrielle is also dead.... She's in hiding, helping us." Harry could see Sirius was tired, so was his aunt, "Why are you and mum so tired Sirius?" the question had just slipped out, he knew it wasn't his business, but he loved them, and they were exhausted, deep down he knew it wasn't the twins keeping them awake, something was bothering them.

"Emma's nightmares, memories and flashes and visions continue to plague her mind. Dumbledore and Severus believe Voldemort may be connected to her in some way, almost like he is to you, like the vision you both shared last year... Harry, have you been seeing things?" Sirius asked, studying his nephew with careful eyes, "You have, haven't you? What are you seeing?"

"Just him standing somewhere randomly, like he's trying to unnerve me, make me feel like I'm going crazy or something. Am I? Am I going mad Sirius?" Harry asked with worry, he didn't like feeling alone, didn't like feeling as if he always had to be on guard day and night.

"No, Severus said that Voldemort had a way with messing with people, by trying to get into their minds and showing them things that would confuse them or drive them to madness... You have to ignore them Harry, if you see them again ignore them, he isn't worth distracting yourself. If they get worse, go straight to Dumbledore or come to me and Emma, understand?"

With a nod, Sirius kissed the top of Harry's head and said their fair-wells. Harry and the rest were now on their own, Severus was the last Order Member in the school besides Dumbledore, but both Professors and Minerva were all under harsh rules. Umbridge was taking over the school.

When they'd signed the parchment to join, Morgan had thanked Harry for not speaking of Cedric the way he had with not wishing to really speak of his terrible death.; **_"Frankly I know he wouldn't have liked all the attention, he liked his quiet life."_**

**_"How'd you know Cedric?"_ ** _Harry was simply curious. He'd never heard of Morgan before and he'd never seen him either beside from the first time after Cedric's death the end of their fourth year when he'd arrived and stayed for the last few weeks of School._

**_"I was close friends with him, transferred to Hogwarts thinking I'd see him, but when I got wind of his death I started looking around Hogwarts for anyone who could have been a part of it, and I think I have some information you'd like to hear later on… Good luck Harry. Looks like you're our new Defense Against the Dark arts Professor."_** Morgan had patted Harry on the arm, a wide smile on his face and congratulations then walked Horus back towards the school talking with him and the Weasley twins and Athella had joined their little walk. Both first year twins holding hands and skipping as they went.

Harry had noticed Morgan from when Horus had been sorted. They had never spoken to the boy, but from what they had gathered from Horus over the few months he seemed to be watching the boy’s back rather well with keeping Finn and the others away from him. Draco had even wanted to talk to Morgan on how he’d kept the beast away from him with no retaliation from the nasty boy like Draco had gotten, though he had never seemed to have the chance. Horus had explained the boy had not had much positive reactions from others since the Slytherin house had been corrupted and regarded with illness from other students, even those in the Slytherin house themselves seemed to avoid him like the plague.

The few months they had in practicing was great, Seamus had finally come around and asked if he could join, wanting to have a better chance at his defense spells rather than blowing everything up, he was excited when he attended his first meeting and loved dueling with Draco, who had knocked him on his ass just about every time.

"Come on Seamus, I know you got something in there waiting to knock me off my feet. Don't hold back, swish your wand like this, there you got it, now cast the spell," and it worked, Draco was sent flying back into the glass wall behind him. Draco groaned with some pain as he sat himself up from the fall with a pain laugh. "Nice, Seamus… Harry, y-your turn."

"Uh… no thanks," Harry laughed at his gasping friend as he walked over and helped him to his feet.

"Are you alright, Draco?" Hermione asked from across the room, her question was filled with laughter as was the rest of the students present.

"I love you all too. Now back to practice, how about we gift them with the Patronus spell Harry? I haven't even learned it." Draco said with amusement.

Shrugging with approval, Harry smiled as he looked around the room at everyone practicing. "Why not, it won't be easy though. Everyone learns differently so it may take a week or two, but we can definitely get it mastered before we leave for the Holidays. We'll give that lesson tomorrow."

With that, they continued the lesson and did the Patronus the next meeting, some got it after a few tries and Harry had stocked up on chocolate since the spell did initially take a lot out of the person.

* * *

Their fear had become much more when the Daily Prophet had announced the mass break out of ten high security prisoners, that very afternoon Umbridge had attempted to remove dear Sybil from Hogwarts.

Minerva rushed out to comfort the crying Sybil, glaring heatedly at Umbridge. But Umbridge being her, had thought Minerva wouldn't say a word, "Something you'd like to say Minerva?"

"Oh, there is plenty I'd like to say to you, Dolores Umbridge. Unfortunately, with students here as witness I believe it would be improper to say such things. Oh there, there, Sybil dear." Minerva wished oh so terribly to be petty at that moment, but soon turned her attention back to the terrified Sybil as she cried heavily. If Umbridge got away with this, poor Sybil had nowhere to go. Hogwarts had been her home year-round for sixteen years she'd worked there. Luck, thankfully, came in the form of the Headmaster.

Sybil was safe for the time.

The training before the Holiday's had gone well, but Harry's troubles were just beginning, he'd had another nightmare again, this time it felt real, like he was a part of it.

Mr. Weasley was being viciously attacked in the Ministry of Magic.

Ron, Draco and Minerva had taken Harry straight to Dumbledore. He'd acted immediately, and the nightmare had proven true, Arthur Weasley had barely made it to the hospital, but he was alive. Dumbledore's constant actions of ignoring him had sent Harry far enough over the edge, Dumbledore had never ignored him, never ignored his students.

"LOOK AT ME!" Harry shouted, shocking Minerva, the Weasley children and Draco.

Dumbledore finally looked at Harry and saw the distress, how much toll the connection between Voldemort and Harry was taking on the boy.

"What's happening to me?" Harry was scared, he didn't know what was happening and that terrified him. The dream had scared him and the possible connection he and his aunt had with Voldemort was horrifying. The worst question Harry had for himself and those who possibly had an idea as to what was happening, was Harry turning into Voldemort without knowing it?

Severus had walked in at Harry's outburst and was looking between the two with stunned shock at the boy.

Albus took a deep breath as he glanced to Severus Snape. "Severus, I'm sorry but we can't wait any longer, not even to morning… I fear if we do, we'll be too vulnerable…" This sent Severus and Harry down to his classroom, they were going to attempt to train Harry's mind to revoke Voldemort's connection. This carried on for a week before Christmas Break.

In Cornelius's constant paranoia, he'd later began accusing Sirius Black of aiding a mass breakout of Azkaban. Many, not knowing Sirius personally, believed this due to the fact that Bellatrix Lestrange had been one of the many who'd been broken out.

These events sent Emma and Sirius into hiding.

Upon arrival to Grimmauld Place, Harry and Draco had launched themselves into Sirius and Emma's arms, both boys' whispering mostly to themselves, "Home." The two adults had heard them and grew curious. "What's been going on?"

"Tell you later, where are the twins." Harry smiled.

"Upstairs in their room, why?" Emma asked curiously, the two parents watched the two pull out a small box from each of their bags.

"Christmas presents, we wanted to set it up for them early." Draco said with a smile. With that, the boys kissed Emma on the cheek and rushed up the stairs to the babies’ room, both boys smiling brightly at the laughing toddlers as they set up the small hanging toys above each crib. The toys decorated with a dog, fox, phoenix, wolf and Stag. Lilian had hers’ downed in lilac purple and gold where they had done Orion's in silver and blue.

The celebrations had begun, everyone cheered for Arthur's recovery and cheered to Harry, had he not seen it Arthur would have been dead, but Harry had walked off that night, to talk with Emma. "The nightmare, did you have the same one?"

"No, I'm sorry Harry. My mind is more guarded than yours he can't get into my mind as easily." Emma sadly admitted.

Harry’s heart filled with sickening fear, "How… How do I stop him from doing it then?"

Emma's heart was shattering as her nephew spoke, they were all frightened, but Harry was in direct line of fire, in the most danger, he was allowed to be terrified. Emma couldn't help him, because the one who’d trained her was the one trying, rather roughly, to train him. "Severus trained me when I was younger Harry, much younger. I took to the training easily only because it was a controlled environment. You're training is so much different, sweetheart. I- I don't know how to help you." He was scared, and Emma didn't blame the boy, everyone was, but he had a direct connection that Voldemort was using to an advantage and for entertainment.

"When I had the dream, when Mr. Weasley was attacked… I… it wasn't like I was standing there or looking down at it, trust me I'd much prefer that, but it-it was… I was the snake… I'm scared…" Harry admitted with tears in his eyes.

Emma could feel her soul breaking, she had no idea how to help him in that department simply because Severus could be cruel, and he was being harsh with the lessons because he was attempting to get Harry's mind under control faster. Harry’s mind was likely slowly becoming accustomed to the invasions, he was slowly able to fight back. But slow was the process and that wasn't good enough for their goals with such a short and dire time approaching. Emma could only think of one thing to do, she pulled her nephew into her arms and held him, letting him silently cry out his fears.

* * *

**January**

They said their goodbyes to the Hogwarts students after Christmas break came to a close in January after the New Year, and for the next few weeks Emma struggled with what Harry had told her before finally confiding in Sirius. "I'm worried Sirius… His mind is more perceptible to him… I don't go through what he is, mine are just flashes, images. I can get into his mind just like he can my own and Harry's, but he can mess with Harry easily."

"He can mess with you too Emma, you're not invincible Love. When are you going to see that? He messes with you by targeting Harry, giving you the flashes, he attacks you when you're asleep then you wake up nearly screaming." He'd been trying to get her to understand that Voldemort knew her weaknesses already from his first fight with her the first round.

"I know that Sirius, but Harry probably doesn't have a strong enough mind to train himself like this, I was in a controlled environment, he isn't. Harry is in a hostile environment and he's just a kid. I don't know how else to help him. I'm scared and at a loss of words and ideas… I understand that in this situation Severus has to be a bit… Brutal? But he could tune it down a few notches just a tad bit." She'd said enough for the moment, though she had a feeling she wasn't going to tell him everything she'd been dreaming, because her nightmares had been similar to Mellena's. A thought that worried her.

Sirius didn't need to hear them, they were all bothered enough, and they were all already having enough problems as it was, he didn't need to be under the impression she was doomed. They were just nightmares, right?

**June**

To their horror, Severus had rushed to Grimmuald place frantic just hours later, "Black! Where are you!"

"Severus, what's going on?" Emma called from the kitchen walking out to meet Severus storming the place.

"Where's that daft husband of yours!" Severus snapped with anger and surprisingly worry.

"Right here, Snape, now if you’d please, we'd appreciate you to stop the yelling… I just put the twins down." His tone was stern, but his voice was soft spoken, as was his usual. Emma always got shivers or goosebumps when he spoke softly.

Severus was having none of it though, he was angry enough as it was. Umbridge had overtaken the school and he was at a very tight limit to what he could do, "The Dark Lord tricked Potter, that crazy nephew of yours is heading to the Ministry as we speak under the impression that he is saving your life! Umbridge caught him trying to leave, she called me for truth serum she's been using on the students. When she caught him and the others, Potter got a cryptic message to me before I left. His words exactly were, "He's got Padfoot, at the place it is hidden." Voldemort sent him a lie in hopes Potter would get the prophecy for him, so he can take it. The prophecy can only be removed by that who it's meant for, and that would be Harry Potter. He purposely attacked Arthur, the realization of that has set it in that boys' mind thinking this one is also real. And for a moment, I thought so too, which was why I called the Order for a mass assembly to the Ministry of magic to stop the boy before he gets himself and his classmates killed." Snape ranted, in truth he was panicking, Lily's son was heading into a death trap. "Emma, we can't let that boy die, he's all that's left of Lily." Severus said sitting in a chair and buried his face in his hands, he was grateful when the order arrived.

"Well, come on you two." Mad eye said sternly, "Severus, stay here, can't have that nose-less thing seeing you."

With a sighing nod Severus agreed, "Wait, Gabrielle, what are you doing here?" his panic returned as he watched his wife dust herself off.

Weakly smiling, she kissed her husband, but something was different about this kiss, and for some reason Severus didn't like the difference.

"What's going on?" Sadly, she hadn't given him an answer. Moving after her as she'd walked away from him, a painful knot knotting in his stomach, "Gabrielle-"

"You know I love you, right Sev?" she sounded saddened, unfortunately her smile hadn’t reached her eyes and Severus didn't have a good feeling about this. "Of course I know,"

They weren't blind, something was going on that wasn't right, something about this didn't look, nor feel, right. It was almost as if she was saying goodbye. This scared, just about everyone.

* * *

**Ministry**

The Order had arrived just in time before the kids were slaughtered, Sirius appearing out of the light behind Lucius, winked at Harry and the boy smiled to his uncle.

Sirius had been dying to do this for ages, "Get away from my Godson."

Confused and taken by surprise, Lucius hadn't seen the next moment happen, Sirius Black had pulled back his fist and punched Lucius straight in the jaw, sending the man back and dropping the Prophecy and forced him to watch in horror as the orb shattered.

The duels began.

Tonks had gone after her Aunt Bellatrix, Gabrielle stayed closest to Harry and Sirius while Emma helped Remus and the rest of the kids.

No one suspected the next fateful death to be someone that others had risked so much for in the past, and their present.

She heard Bellatrix's voice screaming from across the room, heard Emma and Harry screaming for Sirius to move, watched Remus moving forward as fast as he could, deflecting curse after curse that was sent at him as he went, but there was no chance in stopping that curse as it soared through the air, aimed at the last remaining Black, and it would be the last remaining McKinnon that would take his place.

His attention was on his duel with Lucius, no one but Gabrielle was close enough, there was only one thing she knew she could do, and she knew she wouldn't survive as she moved in front of Sirius and felt a sudden and painful burn slam into her, sending her into Sirius's arms that wrapped around her tightly in shock just two seconds after he'd sent Lucius flying through the air.

His breath was lodged in his chest, all he saw was dirty blonde hair that had been flown over his shoulders and into his face at the contact of the spell once it had struck her. Terror settled in his chest. "Gabrielle?" Sirius was filled with dread as he held her, she wasn’t moving. Her body was limp, her warmth gone from her like there was nothing there, "No," _'No please…'_

The last thing Gabrielle Marlene McKinnon, a.k.a. _Mellena Rose Margaret Dumbledore-Snape_ , heard was Emma's horror filled screams echoed off the walls of the execution room.

Emma’s heart jumped from her chest like it had been torn out at the horror, " GABRIELLE!" a heart wrenching scream, that even though Gabby was already dead, still followed her through her death.

Sirius's eyes watered as he held his dear friend close to him, panting with disbelief, "Gabby?" He'd waited for her reply yet was graced with nothing as his ears rang, everything slowed around him. He didn’t want to believe it. None of them did.

The kids gasped, Hermione’s scream had been muffled by Ron’s cries as he held her back from running out in the open, Draco holding back Neville with the help of a tear-filled Luna. Tonks gasped and let a crying sob loos, angry eyes filled with unshed tears turned to her aunt’s dark eyes with burning hate and continued attacking, wanting to put the evil Witch on her ass and almost succeeding a few times, all the while Sirius was left in shock. The Death Eater's hadn't paid him much mind.

"BLUE!" His scream echoed, picking her limp body up into his arms he moved behind the stone arch, laying her down as the Death Eaters finally took notice that he was an open target and began firing curses through the air.

Her blue eyes hadn’t been given the chance to close, and to his endless horror her pale blue eyes were void and lifeless, aside from a small smile that was left on her lips. "Blue… Blue, wake up…Do-don’t do this… GABRIELLE!"

"Padfoot!" Remus shouted, finally getting to him and Gabrielle's body, his chest clenching at the sight. 

_'No, that's not possible…'_ Holding back his sorrow, Remus moved for Sirius, lifting his grieving friend from his fallen knees and shoved him against the arch.

Sirius’s mind was plagued with thoughts. _'How can we tell Dumbledore his granddaughter is- Oh God… Severus.'_

Remus's voice was slowly reaching Sirius's ears, but Sirius was still not hearing him as Emma rushed off after a singing Bellatrix, "I killed Blue eyed Foxy, I killed Blue eyed Foxy!"

In a rage of fury, Emma hadn't realized she had cast the spell, her heart filled with rage and ached with pain, she could hardly breathe. Her best friend had just been murdered by the very person that had help Emma her very first year as a Hogwarts student, _"CRUSIO!"_

The spell connected, sending Bellatrix to the floor nearly hitting her face with a screamed gasp and shock as the Lestrange woman turned to face Emma. Both women looking at the other deep in the eyes, both full of fear and watering. But it was Bellatrix’s trembling voice that woke Emma up from her daze, "Cubby-"

"Why!” Emma cried, “Why didn't you kill me! Why can’t you do it!" She wanted to hear it, she wanted to hear why Bellatrix Lestrange refused to raise her wand to her.

Shockingly enough, Bellatrix didn't have an answer. "I… I don't know, I-I Just can't…" Bellatrix whispered out with her own pain in her eyes as the two stared at one another.

Emma froze and gasped with fright from the echoing laughter of Voldemort’s ringing through the air, felt his breath along her neck. The action had made her sick. In her rage Emma turned swiftly, her second round with the Dark Lord had begun.

This time there was a difference, Emma had her wand, and she was going to use it, “YOU BASTARD!”

Her rage had only made him laugh more with taunts, “At least she got to hear someone’s voice before she died, yes?” he laughed at Emma, deflecting more of her curses, he was shocked to say he’d preferred her wandless the last time, he was able to hit her then. But he was finding this time rather annoying, she was not only doing a damn good job of guarding herself but making him back off. Voldemort was forced to go back to a safer distance.

Bellatrix’s heart filled with fear, but her legs weren’t moving, she had pulled herself to a crawling position, “No, Cubby… Cubby stop! AHH!” Bellatrix Lestrange had screamed with utter horror as her heart froze in its beating rhythm. She could no longer breathe as she watched the scene slowly unfold. She hadn’t meant to scream, but hearing her Loved Lord scream his favorite curse, watching the green flash soar through the air, she knew Emma wouldn’t be able to use a deflecting charm, let alone dodge it in time. He had made sure of that.

Remus slammed Sirius back up against the stone arch, fighting back his own cries of loss, he had to wake Sirius up. "We can mourn later Sirius, but your wife just took off after Lestrange! Get a move on it!" Remus shouted.

Fear sank into Sirius's chest, that curse had been meant for him, a curse that Gabby had taken for him, Emma's best friend. The sudden thought forced his mind to come full circle as Remus's words sank in, his wife was on a mission for revenge. His body kicked into gear, rushing towards the door out into the ministry's floo network halls, Harry and a few others trailing behind them. But the scene that unfolded before them all shattered him to pieces.

A flash of green blinded those rushing out, only to find their dear redhead had faced off all her own against Voldemort. Their heart’s stopping in mid-beat and sank as soon as they witnessed the curse making direct contact with Emma, and a shock wave rippled outwards nearly knocking everyone off their feet.

None of them saw Voldemort flinch as intense pain shot through him, as if something had been ripped right from him, the realization sank in upon feeling his body weaken a little. 

_'I made two? But that's impossible!'_

Sirius watched her fall limp to the ground and everything around him slowed. Sound was muted to his ears. He never noticed Remus holding a screaming Harry or Alastor holding back a shouting Draco. Hermione and Neville held a weeping Ron and Ginny. He never even heard Bellatrix's screams echoing and blending with his nephews' and niece. He had no voice, Sirius barely saw Harry rushing past him and igniting a fight with the murderess Wizard, screeching with sorrow and burning hatred, "YOU KILLED HER!"

"Just like your mother, boy!" Voldemort laughed, entertained by Harry’s instant rage.

"They were both my mother's! Sisters, you murderer!" Harry defended. Voldemort knew this already though. Lily and Emma were two of his many victims he could never forget. They had put up quite a fight.

Draco’s heart jumped from his chest into his throat with terror as he watched the scenes. Watching Harry rush the Dark Lord and dueling against him. "HARRY!" Draco screamed, rushing out himself and shoving Harry and himself out of the way from a killing curse and sending one back to the laughing Dark Wizard.

"A Potter and a Malfoy! How intriguing. Come on, give me the fight of my life boys, though I’ll inform you that your Aunt sure put up a better fight than you both together any night! Bellatrix, get up!" He'd given some patience, expecting the woman to come to his aid at once, yet upon noticing his order and aid had not been taken, nor given, Voldemort shouted over his shoulder with anger. "LESTRANGE GET UP!" Voldemort growled, only then did he noticed the wild woman was still sitting on her belly and hands, like she had attempted to crawl. Her dark eyes staring wide eyed, her face soaked in thick, falling tears.

Confused at what her problem was, he followed the line of sight and found his Lieutenant was unable to look away from the fallen redhead. Growling with annoyance, Voldemort stunned Draco, sending the blond backwards and ready to leave. However, he wasn't expecting Dumbledore to randomly appear and attack him from behind and ensure their own battle. Angry his Lieutenant had failed to come to his aid once again, Voldemort was forced to fight alone, angry he'd also failed in breaking Harry. Voldemort retreated in a swirl of smoke, violently taking a weeping Bellatrix with him. But he hadn’t left unseen by those of the Ministry. They had all stopped and stared in fearful dread as he laughed maniacally at their faces as the two fled.

* * *

**Goodbye to old friend's & those loved**

_Gabrielle's eyes opened up in a familiar garden she hadn't seen in years. The Potter's Estate, next door the McKinnon's family gardens stood brightly. Something that confused her terribly. The two homes had never been close by. Not at all._

_"Hey there Kitten." A soft, feminine voice called out. Filled with fear and wonder, Gabrielle turned to find a smiling Marlene. Her sobs catching in her throat, goosebumps rolling over her skin as her eyes landed on her deceased cousin who hadn’t looked a day older than the day she had died, "Mars?"_

_"Hey there Blue Lady," Gabby's sobs let loose as she turned to face a smiling James Potter. Without thought, Gabrielle threw herself into his arms and sobbed._

_Knowing it would be a better choice to let her cry a bit longer after her short arrival, James waited patiently for a few minutes then decided things needed to be set straight soon before it was too late and permanent. "Gabby, we have a visitor…"_

_"A visitor? But we're dead, right? How can we- Emma? Oh God no… Where is she?" Gabby cried, she'd died saving Sirius, Emma wasn't supposed to die._

_"She's with Lily… She isn't staying Gabs."_

_"What do you mean she isn't staying?" Gabby cried, her tears rolling down her face in thick streams._

_"Come on, let's let you both say your goodbyes," James said sadly, rubbing Gabby's shaking arms as she sobbed as the three made their way towards Lily and Emma off in the fields. Gabby's legs grew weak and jelly like, her heart shattering and felt heavy as they grew closer. They could hear Emma crying into Lily's arms._

_"I don't want to leave you, you left me last time because you had no choice, I don't want to be the one to leave you."_

_"You've done so well, Emma. You and Gabrielle both. Beautiful children with strong parents, prove your legacies true Emma, for all of us. Harry knows who his parents were, and we are so very proud of him, and you and Draco, such handsome boys you have helped raise. Harry is yours and Sirius's now, you've done so good the last few years with him and everything that's happened. We're so proud of you sweet Rose." Lily whispered into her sister's hair. Honestly, Lily had been shocked when she saw Emma, she looked no older than she looked last time Lily had seen her when herself and James were alive. She had aged very well._

_"Go home, Emma, this is not your home yet. You're not done, there is still so much more you have yet to do. If you don't, I fear for the others, your children, Harry, Severus and Sirius." Lily cried, "They need you more than you know, and you need them. Voldemort made two, not one, now he's weakened, and he knows it now, he'll be coming for you all soon with everything he has." Lily warned her._

_Gabby couldn't take it, her best friend had a choice to go back, and she didn't want to, Gabrielle could have strangled her, "Emma?"_

_The voice drew her attention, one she didn’t have the strength to face. Seeing her friends tear-stricken face sent Emma into a round of heavy weeping, even more so when she felt Gabby wrap her arms around her and the two friends held one another. The scene was heartbreaking enough for everyone watching to cry themselves._

_"Go home, Emma, if you don't, you can't tell Severus that I'm sorry. Go home," Gabby continued saying the two simple words that sent Emma back into her body that had been laid on the study floor back at Grimmauld place._

* * *

Sirius and the others Apparated in front of Grimmuald place with heavy hearts.

"Sirius, let Remus walk in first," Alastor said sadly, his head bowed low as his last good eye feel upon the dead woman lying nestled in Remus's arms. Her waving, dirty blonde hair falling in water falls over his shoulder and arm.

Sirius, understanding this was not only going to be difficult for himself and Remus, but for Severus as well. Gabrielle had been his wife and after Lily's murder, Emma had become his best friend. This was more than a double slam for Severus. This would kill him.

Alastor was the first to walk in, but hearing Severus's voice, even from outside, he knew he was going to be devastated, "What happened? Are they alive? Is the boy alive?" he asked frantically.

"Yes, the boy and the students are alive… Severus… I am so sorry…" Alastor said softy, a frog caught in his throat. Alastor didn’t know what else to say. He had no words himself for this unfortunate outcome.

"We had casualties?" Severus asked, fear sinking in him.

"Yes, we had casualties…. Remus," he called, choking on his words. Alastor had to look away as Remus walked in, tears running down his face, Tonks walking in behind him, but the body in Remus's arms caught Severus's attention and his heart sank to his stomach in shatters. The devastation Severus felt when he found Lily was nothing compared to the sickening emotion Snape felt to this.

His wife was dead.

Severus was unable to say her name, his voice unable to form words, but the wail that left him was the only thing allowed through as Remus set Gabrielle's body into her husband's arms, her blue eyes long closed in respect. His arms wrapped around her body, his fingers running through her still soft dirty blonde hair.

They'd watched with heavy hearts as Severus stumbled into the study and set his wife's body onto the sofa, but the cries that night were just beginning, "Severus, I wish we could leave you to your mourning in peace, however, I'm sorry to say that your wife… Your wife was not our only casualty."

Looking up from his wife's body, Severus found he had no more words, even if he never had them in the first place, a cry could not even leave him. Because in the arms of Sirius Black was his second dearest friend. He wasn't wanting to believe it, in one night he'd lost everything all over again. That night he and Sirius Black were equals, both crying over their lost loves.

Sirius and Severus held a comforting arm around one another crying over their wives' bodies, no one was expecting one of the bodies to sit up suddenly with a gasp for air and green eyes wide, full of fear and unshed tears in their living plane as she looked around to everyone until realization hit her like a cinder block.

Her mouth felt dry as it dropped, turning and deep green eyes widened bigger than she, or anyone, had ever seen before as her eyes landed on the body of her friend laying on the sofa, a friend she had been hugging and crying with just moments ago. It was silent for a short while until a loud and shattering wailing scream left the redhead as she pulled the dead blonde into her arms and cried into her, soaking Gabrielle's hair with her tears.

Her cries made their sorrows more so, they were mostly left in confusion as to how Emma was even alive. They'd all seen the curse connect, watched Harry and Sirius holding her dead body and Remus closing her eyes as he had for Gabrielle. Tonks had felt for a pulse frantically before crying out herself after she had been unable to find the pulse, hoping it had missed and she had simply fainted from fright. No matter how crazy that wish had been. Emma had been dead, just like Gabrielle.

A confused Sirius and Severus turned their heads to Alastor Moody, who was at a loss for words himself, "Mourn first, questions later."

Severus was left with wonder, even though he loved having the chance to keep Emma in his life, but the constant thought continued to plague him, why did his wife have to be killed? Until memories began surging forwards; **1)** the agreement of papers to sign for their children's safety and guardianship over to Molly and Arthur Weasley if, or when, something happened to her before this was over, **2)** her constant nightmares she wouldn't tell him of and **3)** her last kiss and words, **_"You know I love you, right Sev?"_**

"She knew… She knew she was going to die… She saw it, for months! She's been seeing her own death and I never even knew it…" Severus’s words had left without a thought to keep them to himself.

His words had pulled a crying Emma from her friend and into Severus's arms. "I'm so sorry Sev." The two mourned their loss, crying for hours and speaking of the time Emma had spent with the dead spirits of long-lost times of their past.

Severus suffered that night most of all, he didn't even have his children anymore, they were not safe with him, due to his inside status with Voldemort. But as long as his children survived, Severus knew he could fulfill his duties to ending this war.

Even if it ended his own life.

* * *

****You're allowed to be angry at me for a little while, and it's okay if you cried, I ripped out my own heart writing this chapter.**


	37. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 37 **

* * *

The children were still under the impression that Emma was dead. When the Order members called a meeting for everyone to head to the Burrow after school had finished for the year, and they had no idea why they were told to go straight there, the kids were in total confusion.

"What's going on Sirius? Draco and I just want to go home… and where are the twins?" Harry spoke softly, he and the others were still heartbroken of their loss, obviously since it had only happened a few days ago.

"Their safe, Andromeda has them, but she's bringing them to the Burrow for you and the others to see. Remus, Alastor and I wanted to come for you all at the station anyways. The Funeral is in a few days."

"Funerals," Ron grumbled in correction, "What was so important anyways. The year ended terribly, why is mum and dad holding a party at the house." Ron and the others didn't want to have a party, no matter what kind it was, they lost Mellena, who they'd later been told was Gabrielle McKinnon under an alias since she was sixteen. But it didn’t matter, Mellena or Gabrielle, she was still their Aunt.

"It's a celebration of life, for the time we had with the dearly departed. Just try to smile when you get home Ron." Remus said with a saddened smile, he was disappointed, and heartbroken with Gabrielle’s death, he’d never gave the woman a chance to truly explain anything to him. He had been so hurt and upset he’d fed that anger and he’d lost a dear friend he’d once loved so much. Patting the saddened ginger on the back, he couldn’t help the sigh that left him.

Harry began his outburst, "How can we smile! Our aunts were murdered in cold blood!" He snapped, getting out of the magically extended vehicle and ran towards the Burrow's door, his heart jumped from his stomach when his eyes fell on the dark red hair and deep green eyes.

_‘This is impossible, she’s dead…’_

"Am I seeing ghosts?" Harry choked out, his eyes watering with tears.

"No, you're not seeing ghosts Harry."

Emma understood he was having a difficult time understanding what was going on, in truth they all were, she had been killed, so how was she still alive?

Dumbledore was still trying to figure it out.

"But… We saw him kill you. How is this possible?" He asked, his voice faltering and began crying when his hands touched her hands. Warm, flesh and blood, "Your real… Your real." He was mostly speaking for himself, trying to get it through his mind that she was alive, but his legs had given out. When he felt her arms wrap around him catching him, set it in stone that she was truly alive.

Emma was there and holding him.

The thought made him cry into her arms, his own hold like a vice around her. Harry’s mind was silent to the others as they entered the Burrow, eyes wide with shock, tears and sobbing smiles.

Draco had fallen to his knees. His arms wrapping around her neck and started his own sobs as Ron did the same. Once the three had their time to themselves for Emma's return they reluctantly release their hold, letting the rest take their time with holding her and crying. Even Hermione had her sobbing moments in Emma's arms with Ginny. But everyone’s happiness was brought down several levels when they began asking about Mellena, realizing it truly was all real. Nothing had been faked. There was no ‘pulling a veil over their eyes’. Mellena was really dead.

Athella and Horus had taken their time of being last, looking for their mother, but Horus had been the one to point out to his sister that their mother was still gone. This gave them the realization that not everyone can come back from death, like they'd had the short amount of hope of possibilities to have their mother once again, but their sour mood of not having their mother was softened by the thought that they still had their Aunt. It didn't make it hurt any less. In fact, it stung more that they were never going to see their mother again. The thought had sent the twins into tears as they hugged Emma tightly, her trying everything in her power to comfort them. Emma had no words to spare the children of their loss, so she didn't say a word. She had put them to bed that night and every night after, her and Molly taking turns. The two women's hearts breaking when the twins would ask about Severus.

**_"When can we see dad?"_ **

**_"Where's our father?"_ **

**_"Does he not want us?"_ **

**_"Why didn't he go to mum's funeral?"_ **

The women had to console the grieving children over the summer, **_"Your father loves you, but he knew if something like this happened, he couldn't keep you safe all his own. That's why you're here with Molly and Arthur… He wanted you three safe. He wanted to go to your mother's funeral, but he's hurting so much from her loss he probably couldn't face the reality of it."_** _Emma spoke softly, her heart aching at her friend’s absence and for the family that lost her._

_‘Why Gabs,’_

"Aunt Emma?" Athella spoke up, curiosity in her eyes, curiosity sparking made Emma smile, "Yes sweet girl?"

"Can Mars sleep in here with us?" Athella’s eyes alight with hope.

"Yes, we can move Marlene's crib in here with you if your brother doesn't mind." 

"Really!" the twins snapped up with bright happy smiles.

Emma smiled as the twin’s happiness, smiling gladly, lighting up with excitement and both shot up right in their separate beds with wide smiles.

"Yes, really."

"Aunt Emma? Are you going back to Hogwarts as a teacher this year?" Horus asked in curiosity just as George and Fred had brought the baby crib into the room and a smiling Ginny placing a sleeping baby girl back into the Crib, "No, unfortunately not this year."

Where Athella didn't understand, Horus did. Giving a nod and telling his sister to not say another word on the matter.

Emma was shocked to find that Horus was much like his father in more ways than many.

Athella obliged, knowing there wasn't any point in saying anymore.

Emma always had a reason for things, like their mum and dad. And they trusted their parents, so they were going to trust Emma. The three-sibling slept in peace for the first time in the first month after they'd buried their mother.

* * *

The children were extraordinary when it came to their classes, Horus was brilliant in Potions, Transfiguration and Herbology where Athella excelled in more in Defense, Charms, Flying and History than her brother. Both took in one another's strengths and weaknesses to help the other succeed in the classes they needed help.

Unfortunately, with many others believing Emma was deceased as well, they thought it would be wise to inform close family she was alive and well. However, there were a few who were left unaware of her living status, like those at the school, students and staff alike. A ceremony was to be held at the first night of the new school year of the loss of Mellena, but they had involved Emma in the ceremony also, hoping everyone would continue to believe she was dead.

Dumbledore, Severus and Harry had made the hard decision that Harry's mind be wiped of her living nature. And so, Dumbledore complied to the wishes and done the task personally. They'd held a service for Emma in Godric's Hollow Cemetery and had a headstone placed next to James and Lily. Emma had to remain in hiding, something she greatly disliked.

* * *

"I did not agree to this Sirius." Emma huffed with annoyance, she had been trying to go to Hogwarts to help the others prepare for the coming year and to help get Mellena's ceremony underway and in proper order. But she had been sent directly to Dumbledore's office after the floo had been set from Grimmuald place.

Emma had found she was unable to Disapparat and upon her arrival to Dumbledore's office, she was even more confused when he'd quickly waved his wand in her direction and the fireplace. She was sent right back shortly after her fireplace floo network had been locked and disconnected. Emma Black had been locked in her own home at Grimmauld place. Her anger and irritation had only grown when Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus and Alastor had arrived and began explaining why she was being locked in her own home.

"Emma, if they found out you were-"

"I know why it was put in place Sirius!" Emma scolded, taking a deep breath to calm herself, "I'm just upset that no one even asked me regarding the subject."

"Emma, we understand why your upset at that point, my grand-daughter is dead, your best friend, I, we, are simply protecting you for a short time until we need your presence known. This gives us an advantage," Dumbledore stated, in fact he had a point. Everyone believed her dead, so she should stay that way in words and in many thoughts of their enemies for the time being, but they hadn't had the chance to tell her what Harry had decided.

Truthfully, they didn't want to.

"No, it doesn't… Harry knows I'm alive… He can still get into Harry's mind." Emma informed them, yet their sudden silence and diverted eyes made her not only temporarily confused, it made her fearful. "What happened?"

"Emma, this is why we didn't know how to tell you…" Sirius spoke up, he had a feeling he was not only going to get slapped, but he was likely going to be in the doghouse for weeks.

Hearing Sirius had turned her fear into anger, "What did you do!"

"Sirius didn't do anything, Emma… I did… with, of course, Harry's permission." Dumbledore stood from his set of the study and began pacing the room.

At this, Emma's irritation boiled over, a heavy breath was taken in and slowly let out as she glared at Dumbledore. "What permission." It was not a question, more along the lines of a growled demand. Yes, she was pretty pissed. No one had spoken a word to her regarding anything.

* * *

The days grew darker, the Wizarding world was under attack, even the Muggle world was having catastrophic events happening, and the Order was helpless to stop anything. The Death Eaters were being unpredictable, Snape was not informed of everything going on nor the attacks that were to be done, it was all at random.

Severus had avoided everyone, his moods had darkened, even towards his children. His children hadn't seen him and he had become cold towards the twins. He was finally given the promotion to Dark Arts Professor when he was informed his old Potions Professor, Horus Slughorn, was returning.

The only downed thing about Harry and the other's sixth year, was that Emma was in hiding and Harry had his memory tampered with. They had been called to Dumbledore's office to witness the tampering and Emma's living status had been wiped from the boys mind. Harry was back to grieving for his Aunt and mother.

Sirius had been cleared of the accusations by Rufus Scrimgeour who'd succeeded Fudge as Minister.

Hermione had begged Sirius to speak to her parents of letting her return to Hogwarts and had done so, understandably Snape was under the desire to not let the twins return either but had given Molly and Arthur money for their things.

"There is a vault set up for the children for you to use as you so desire, there is plenty in there. Use it for your family as well. Gabrielle had money saved back from the Clothesline she was invested in with Emma, her sum is still being put into the vault. I don't need it… Thank you for taking them, Molly." He sounded so cold and distant to her ears, but his eyes were broken and void of any, to all, emotion but heartache and sadness.

"Don't you want to see them Severus, they lost her too you know." Molly asked with worry and sadness. They had buried Gabrielle, again with Lily and James, somewhere Snape had asked to be placed alongside her. He knew James wouldn’t have minded him being laid to rest with them in the cemetery. Friends they may have never been but equals they had been before their end.

"I know, I want to, believe me I want to see my children… But for the things I have to do, the person I must become, they will no longer recognize me. I can't ruin them, Gabrielle risked everything, she knew they weren't safe with me if something happened to her, knew that as the days grew darker, I was no longer able to protect them, I can only do so much, I cannot fail. And if I'm worrying over them, as well as the boy, I will fail. They are yours now Molly. Give the children my fair-wells and goodbyes, give them my love?"

Molly's lip tremble sadly for Severus, and nodded, "This is goodbye then?"

"For now,"

"I'll relay your love to them Severus… You deserved so much more than this life… Be safe?"

"I'm never safe, not anymore." Severus muttered.

Molly had cried for a while after he'd left, crying for Gabby's loss, now the loss of their Mellena, for the children and for Emma but most of all, she cried for Severus.

"Aunt Molly are you okay?" Athella had asked, walking in rubbing her sleeping eyes, "Of course dear, just been a long few weeks." Molly answered, looking at the young girl. Her dark hair pulled back into a bun with a Gryffindor scrunchy that was once her mothers, the dirty blonde strip of hair was still clearly visible, something that would always show she was Gabrielle's daughter, even her bright blue eyes didn't do the twelve-year-old justice, just as beautiful as her mother.

Molly had spent the very early morning with Athella helping her prepare breakfast with excitement and had even gone to wake up the others. "Fred! George! Breakfast!"

Both boys groaned tiredly, "It's seven on Tuesday, Ella," George groaned, only to have a laughing twelve-year-old jump on his bed, landing on him, making him grunt from the pain of his stomach being shoved in. For a small thing she was, she sure had strength.

"Alright, alright. Go to Fred… Fred, she's your department, dear brother." George said getting up and heading for the bathrooms and a change of clothes with a groan as he walked past his calendar, their open house for their shop was in three days.

"Fred, open house is in three days, we need to get the shop ready." George stated, drying his still dripping hair with the towel, smiling as he watched Athella and Fred horsing around, both laughing. It shocked him still she had pretty much become a different half of his twin. Horus had always liked being around Draco and Ginny or Angelina.

"I'm coming, come on Ella." Fred laughed picking Athella up onto his back as she laughed, the twins switching her out to the other so Fred could get ready himself.

* * *

Before school had started, during the Weasley Twin’s open house, Harry, Draco, Ron and Hermione, had witnessed Narcissa walking Finn down Knockturn Alley and into Borgin and Burks, nearly getting caught. They'd hidden and watched with defeated sighs as Fenrir Greyback closed the curtains from others looking in. Both Harry and Draco were under the assumption it was an initiation. Voldemort now had a solid set of eyes in Hogwarts he knew he could use to grand advantages.

However, no one seemed to have realized that Narcissa had worries for her nephew, Finn. As crazy as he was, and as mad as he was, he was just a boy. Before school had begun, she had rushed to Severus begging him for his help _, "He's just a boy Severus, just a boy… Help him, please? He doesn't understand the hardships of doing what he's been asked to do. The scars it could leave him with. He believes he'll be fine, bu-but he's just a boy…"_ Narcissa had felt horrible after feeling she was happy Draco hadn't been with them, because if he had been, Voldemort would have marked him and given the task to Draco instead. To at least attempt to redeem her previous feelings, Narcissa wanted to try to help her nephew, but he wanted no help from her. To her horror, Finn wanted to fulfill the Dark Lords wishes and looked to Bellatrix as his mother figure and aunt, not Narcissa, and Bellatrix had coached the boy in her own madness.

Severus, to all his efforts to consul the woman, had failed in leaving that day unscarred and in a non-dangerous life-threatening situation… Bellatrix had challenged him, knowing she could use her sister's soft feelings to get to Severus, "Swear to it," and he had, he'd made the most dangerous vow he'd ever made. He could no longer work between the lines of light and dark, he couldn't escape fate any longer, that day his path had been chosen.

The Unbreakable Vow.

Bellatrix and her sister had not been the same when Emma's funeral was announced, they thought she was dead, like his wife.

Voldemort had given Severus his deepest condolences, knowing full well who his wife was and had demanded an explanation as to why she was still alive after Severus had claimed to have been the one to kill her himself years ago, **_"She was scared, I was scared, we devised a plan to let her be free of it all, to marry and have a family, but as the years went on she grew distant from me, no longer trusted me."_** He had explained, a lie he knew the Dark Lord would believe.

**_"And your children?"_ **

**_"Never had any. The children she had were from another, we just never Divorce."_** _'Forgive me Gabrielle,'_ He prayed every night for her forgiveness from then on, for the lies he'd have to give. Each lie he had to speak broke his heart into more dusting pieces.

* * *

**October 12th, 1996**

The months had past like nothing, but the realization of returning back to Hogwarts without Emma or their mother had sent the twins into worry and fear, they didn't even have their father anymore. Making matters worse, the Weasley twins were no longer at Hogwarts, dropped out because of Umbridge.

The start of the new school year had been harsh and difficult, their father was cold and distant, even to them, and it hurt all the more.

Horus would return to the Slytherin Common room and cry himself to sleep, Morgan would comfort him as would Cho when he saw her or Angelina. His sister would sit with him in their classes they had together, when they had Defense with Snape they were shocked when he hadn’t complained about the two of them working together, unfortunately he was harsh and critical towards them. There was another girl, Astoria Greengrass, she was a sweet girl, very kind and Horus had found himself enjoying his time around her. She had even had the terrifying courage to slapping Finn across the face when he'd made an inappropriate comment about one of the Ravenclaw girls. Horus knew he liked her the second she'd slapped Finn Malfoy. Her handprint had bruised itself to his right cheek for nearly a week.

Athella would crawl in with Ginny at nights when she needed to cry, curl up next to Hermione or Ron near the fireplace when the group would be down in the Common room.

"Why does it bother you that he's being a git?" Ron had asked once, and Athella had grown tired of the secrets. "He's our father, Mellena, or Gabrielle, whatever our mum's name was, was his wife." This had sent the elder students in dumb struck, Severus Snape had married a sweet women and love and caring person, like Mellena?

"We have pictures to prove it… You can even ask Aunt Molly, Uncle Remus and Uncle Sirius." Athella's tone worried them, it was distant, filled with sorrow and sadness.

* * *

**December 1996**

Emma had heard wind that Harry had been excelling in Potions to her joy and had even been claimed by Slughorn into the Slug club, but Emma had a suspicion Dumbledore was using Harry to this advantage and she wanted to know why.

"You asked to speak with me my dear?" Dumbledore asked, walking into the kitchen of Grimmuald place, the home her and Sirius had agreed to stay in due to it being the safest location for Emma and the twins, and Emma had been unable to return to the Potter Estate, not without Gabrielle. Albus smiled happily when he saw Orion and Lilian in their highchairs being fed by their mother. The twins had laughed and clapped when they saw Dumbledore walk in, this had Emma smiling, the first real smile she had given in the presence of Dumbledore as he sat across from the redhead. "What do you need Harry's help for with Horus, Albus? Why couldn't you just ask him. He's your friend, isn't he?"

With a small smiled sigh, Albus nodded, "Yes, I asked Harry to get close to Horus, and yes, he is a dear friend. However, the information he gave me last time was tampered, the memory distorted and changed. We need the real memory." Albus explained.

"Why would he tamper with his own memory?" To say she was confused was an understatement, but Horus had been her own teacher and had adored him as such. She had been happy to hear Horus had taken wonderfully to the twins, even more so to Horus Snape and had expressed his deepest condolences to them when he finally met them. Of course, he had done so after class had finished as to not draw attention to their loss.

"Your nephew is bright, as are you my dear girl… I explained to Harry that Horus may be embarrassed, maybe even ashamed of it. There for tampering with the memory at the time when I asked him for it… Voldemort grew close with one particular teacher while he was at Hogwarts."

Sighing sadly and now understanding the situation, Emma nodded. "Slughorn… How soon after did you ask him for the memory of the encounter?" Emma asked, returning back to feeding the twins their mashed food. Even only at nine and a half months old the twins seemed to be growing like wild weeds, they’d eat some soft solid food here and there but they still weren’t liking many things harder than bananas. Emma had decided to just let them grow to the foods instead. Her and Sirius had agreed that they had enough energy as it was, so they were not going to get any crazy amounts of sugar at all.

Dumbledore had taken to feeding Lilian with a happy smile as Emma had moved to feeding Orion, she couldn’t help the smile that came to her as she watched the elder man with her children, he’d been amazing with his own great-grandchildren and Emma couldn’t help but wonder why he’d never had a family.

_‘He’d have made a wonderful father that’s for sure.’_

Dumbledore had wanted to think of the answer for a bit, but his attention had been grabbed by the adorable little redhead in her highchair smiling wide at him, even as he fed Lillian. "Maybe a few weeks after I realized I didn't have his, he may have had an idea why or what Tom was planning, and I found that his tampered memory was the biggest clue. However, before I could ask him why, he resigned, and I couldn't find him for a few years."

"Albus, I'm going mad here, at least let me come back to the school under disguise?" Harry's security hadn't only been the reason she wanted to speak with him, but he had quickly refused her.

"It's not safe. The children need you here, their happy with you around, Harry will have his Aunt back once the year is over, you can explain everything to him. I have signed permission from him to allow me to erase that memory here with me." He said quickly pulling the informed consent from his sleeve and handed it to her. "Train him, Emma, when he comes back for break in a few weeks, train his mind and he can have you back."

Sighing in defeat, Emma handed the consent form back to Albus. But a few other things had been weighing on Emma’s mind. "Albus, when I was dead, Lily told me that Voldemort made two, not one… I've been trying to figure out for months what she was talking about, but I haven't found anything…"

"I'm still working on that myself. He has objects laced with dark magic, powerful. It's leaving traces, that's why when you were so angry for years, why you yourself was not only powerful yourself but filled with so much anger was because that was the dark traces of dark magic. I'm just trying to figure out what it is, what he's using to keep himself connected to this world. But I can't seem to figure out what kind it is. Each piece he laces with his darkness is even more difficult to destroy." He clarified, finally showing her his own hand.

The sight of Albus’s damaged hand drew wide eyes, Emma had to hold back the gasp as she took his damaged hand into her own and looked it over and her heart sank to her stomach at the sight of his chard looking hand. "What happened?"

"Tom's ring, when I found it, I couldn't think of a way to destroy it. I tried everything, until, I attempted to put it on my own hand. The curse, and the magic inside, was released and destroyed, but at the price of my own." He spoke sadly.

Emma took a breath, she was not going to start crying in front of her kids, they would begin themselves and it would just be a mess. "How long?"

"A year, possibly. But I must go. I have students who need my presence and a meeting with a few people I believe I may be late for. Good night Emma." He'd said his goodbyes, kissing the twins atop their head then finally Emma's forehead and was off back to his Tower. He still had a lot of work that needed to be done and he feared he wouldn't be the one to finish them.

Christmas was a few weeks away and Harry had been trying to muster up the courage to ask Alicia to go to the Slughorn Christmas Party, but she had sadly informed him she was unable to attend the grand party because she was going home a day before the said party.

"How about we go to Hogsmeade for a bit then, before you leave?"

She'd smiled and kissed Harry on the cheek, "I'd love to Harry."

Excited, Harry went for the closest date, "How's tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow would be great, met you in the usual place then?"

For the first time in a while since his mum’s and Aunt Mellena's funeral, Harry was happy again.

Alicia had been there for him and Draco for everyone really. Her and Amos Diggory. She and her uncle had attended the funerals, comforted him and the others at the Potter Estate helped with the twins when Andromeda, Tonks and Remus didn't have them.

Sirius had returned to Hogwarts as Security, he hadn't wanted the babies at Hogwarts, Harry was told Andromeda, Tonks and Remus were taking care of the twins currently. With his memory wiped of Emma's living status, he no longer had the knowledge that his adoptive mother was alive and well and taking care of the growing infants locked away at Grimmauld Place with Kreacher.

Andromeda had been stopping by every few days to help Emma stay sane. Thankfully it was partially working.


	38. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 38 **

* * *

The month leading up to Slughorn's Christmas Party for his Slug-Club, Ron had not only won two games but had ended up dating a strawberry blonde, sporting lovely brown eyes, a fifth year.

This happened after they'd won the first game. Everyone had gone to the after party, celebrating Ron's success, which had led to the girl gathering up her courage and kissed him in the middle of everyone's cheer. The display of affection had everyone screaming and whistling.

Lavender's mouth had dropped with shock, Hermione had confided in her just a few months ago that she had hidden feelings for her ginger-haired male friend. In the middle of her shock Lavender had not seen Hermione sneak off, Draco following a bit behind her.

Draco and Hermione spent a few minutes together, Draco trying his best to comfort Hermione as she wept. Unfortunately, their comforting silence had not lasted very long, when a bubbly girl had skipped and giggled with excitement down the hall, arms latched onto a grinning and a rather happy Ron, obviously a bit nervous and not a clue as to what he was going to do. Not that he couldn't improvise, however, his heart had sunk at seeing Hermione crying and Draco's arm draped around her, obviously comforting Hermione from something that was bothering her deeply. This had Ron concerned because the last thing he had seen was Hermione sending a gathering of singing yellow birds flying right after him and the fifth-year girl.

It had taken him two days after that to realize she was upset with him, and again it wasn't difficult to figure it out after Lavender Brown had grown red in the face, angry with him, then suddenly slapping him in the middle of supper after Ron had flat out said he had **_“No idea why she’s so upset, and I’m not interested in figuring out considering she chased me off.”_** Though, a few understood why he didn't have a desire to ask why, since Hermione had chased him off. However, they did think him a bit out of it to not find out because she had seen fit to do so in the first place. This was something both Harry and Draco agreed about not getting in the middle of.

* * *

**Christmas Party '96**

Slughorn’s party was interesting, Harry had taken Luna as a friend since Alicia had gone home. Harry had very much enjoyed the party. Draco and Ginny had attended together, simply as friends. Hermione, however, had gone with Cormac McLaggen to **_"Annoy Ron the most,"_**. But Harry’s interest came when Snape had informed him that Dumbledore was not going to be present for the Holiday's, "You see… He's traveling. And won't return until school resumes."

Snape had felt awkward being a verbal messenger. He’d become cold that year, colder than usual, he’d noticed his cold demeanor and harsh tactics, even regarding his own children in his classes and around the school, was causing concerns and emotional harm. Snape hated himself. His daughter was taking the sudden change hard, worse than her brother, though Horus too was taking to the changes rather hard. However, the boy was hiding his discomfort in the private confines of the Slytherin Common room with Morgan. Snape’s precious Ella was moping about, her bubbly nature and fun-loving tactics for mischief had long vanished, this worried everyone.

The night had just gotten more interesting as Filch roughly drug a rather pissed off Finn into the room.

"I'll escort him out, Mr. Filch, thank you." Snape coldly stated, then proceeded to walk the dark-haired Malfoy boy out with many onlookers that no one had noticed Harry and Draco slipping off to listen to Finn’s and Snape’s heated conversation.

"I don't need your help! I cursed the Bell girl, yes, I poisoned the wine, yes. Those were pathetic attempts. I'm apparently not doing my best work!" Finn snapped. As much as Finn wanted to prove himself to Voldemort and Bellatrix, the boy was scared.

"Finn, you are drawing attention. You'll be caught, expelled and sent to Azkaban in the next few months if you continue on this path. Let me assist you!" Snape was trying to get the boy to trust him, but he was finding the boy to be very difficult, stubborn and showing that he wasn't scared, which worried Snape the most. Finn was good at hiding his fear with anger and arrogance.

"No! It's my time, my task. He asked me to do this himself. I was chosen, not you! I don't need, nor want, your help." The boy’s voice was full of anger.

"I have to help you! I have to keep a close and safe eye on you boy! I made the unbreakable vow Finn Malfoy! If you die, I die. Bellatrix made certain of that!"

Feeling his fear and anger mixing and over boiling, Finn snapped. The words that escaped Finn had wholeheartedly regretted as he watched the hurt and sadness spark in his Professor’s dark eyes, "Then she did us a favor, just like that wife of yours you were hiding under our noses! What else are you hiding Severus Snape!" Finn retorted back, a sadistic grin wide on his face, a grin that was driving the poor Professor mad.

He was good, better than Snape thought. The question was Snape had to ask was, could Finn do the deed Voldemort had entrusted him with? Snape didn't like the quick answer that had come to him, because Severus had a feeling that if he didn't stop him, to do it himself, they were all in big trouble. Severus knew the boy was arrogant, but only because Bellatrix and Voldemort had been talking him up, encouraging him that he’d be safe from anything. Finn wouldn’t find out their true nature until later, smooth manipulation was their skill.

Christmas was around the corner and many had noticed Athella had obviously been acting strange, she was always crying off somewhere on her own, Horus wasn't able to speak with the poor girl as to what was wrong, and Fred couldn’t get through to her.

She'd wipe her tears free and silently go back to the day. However, Harry had an idea as to why and had even talked to the others about the possibilities, and it all came down to one subject. Mellena, or Gabrielle, whichever name other's preferred calling her. Of course, the twins would be upset, they had every right to be, but what was adding to the emotional turmoil? Something was eating away at her, and if was the fact that Harry had no idea Emma was still alive, and that had only been added on by their mother’s death and the lack of their father. In truth, the twins had lost both of their parents, and they were mourning both Mellena’s and Severus. She'd been taken aside by Hermione and a few others to be informed that Harry had her grandfather wipe his memory of Emma to keep their Aunt safe for the time being, something she didn't understand.

* * *

**_ F _ ** **_ lashback- _ **

**_"Aunt Emma allowed this?"_ ** _Athella question, but the answer she got was something she definitely didn't like._

_Hermione shook her head sadly, **"Emma doesn't know he did this yet. But for the time, Ella, we can't say anything around him that would give off hints of her still being alive. It was Harry's choice, we can't do anything about it now. He signed some kind of form to Dumbledore stating permission was granted by himself. Everything is in his handwriting.”**_

**_"Apparently he wrote himself a letter he handed over to Dumbledore to give to him when it was time to re-inform him our dear Aunt figure is still walking around with the living."_ ** _Draco grumbled. He hated watching his friend, practically his brother, having his memory scrubbed of Emma, and he had a feeling Emma was going to have someone's balls for this. He was just glad it wasn't going to be his._

**_ End of flash _ **

* * *

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only reason Athella had also been asking questions lately, questions no one wanted to tell her, but she deserved to know either way, and Harry had every intention of speaking to the young second year in private, sooner rather than later. Because later may be too late. Yet Harry's Dilemma came at a shock, his Godfather and uncle, the man who'd adopted him alongside his Aunt had brought a friend, or rather a 'date', to Christmas at the Weasley's that year.

Her dark brown hair and bright blue eyes stunned him, her smile even more so. But it was Sirius's hand resting at her lower back that angered him. He hadn't intended to voice his discomfort, yet the words left him faster than he could stop them, and once the words had slipped out, he couldn't take them back. "Who's she?" Harry was also uncomfortable with the fact they had walked in together, each one holding one of the twins, Lilian and Orion. 

_'If he needed help with getting the twins here why didn't he just ask one of us to help him! They just lost their mother! He just lost his wife! How can he be smiling like that with his arm around a different woman!'_ to Harry the woman was a stranger, a woman he felt his uncle and everyone was attempting to replace his deceased aunt with.

Sadly, to everyone else, this woman was Emma Rose Black, Sirius Black's wife.

Everyone's smiles and laughter had gone silent at his sudden question, they had forgotten Emma was still dead in his mind, which was the hints to her disguise so to not spook the boy, a disguise she really hadn't wanted to use, but her desire to spend Christmas with her family was overwhelming and they hadn't thought of actually introducing her disguise to Harry. A mistake they quickly regretted.

No one liked lying to Harry, no one enjoyed keeping her existence from him at all, but with his mind still connected to the Dark Lord that they couldn't risk it, even Harry had agreed to have his memory of her living removed. So, for now, Emma had to be believed to be deceased.

Realizing Harry was upset, Sirius tried to think fast to explain his actions with the disguised Emma, the situation broke his heart, and he couldn't possibly imagine how hurt Emma was with this now that the situation had risen, especially since she cleared the problem.

"I'm a close friend of your Aunts and Uncles. However, I think my sudden presence so close to your Aunt’s unfortunate deaths was inappropriate. It was still nice to see you, Harry… I'll see you all at the next meeting." The disguised Emma announced to everyone's shock. Even Harry, who’d shrugged to Draco when the boy received a stern glare and was even most confused as she walked out. 

“I didn't ask her to leave, I just asked who she -" 

"We know Harry dear, it's alright- Tonks?" Molly started, her confusion set in as Tonks walked out after the retreating disguised Emma in worry and quickly informed Sirius, she would handle this one as she rushed out after the woman. "Did I say something wrong, Sirius?" Harry felt terrible his words or tone had sent her packing and had felt as if he'd been slammed in the gut by a cement block. Harry had absolutely no idea what just happened, no one really did.

Sirius had to take a breath to calm himself, he hated lying, but he knew he could if he had to, but he hated he was just too good as of late, especially when it was towards Harry.

"We're all sensitive Harry. Amara was close with your aunts." He lied, hoping his nephew would take it. Unfortunately, they all saw the skepticism in Harry's eyes, something that was definitely remembering his mother, Lily. She didn't much take to lies well either, the more likely she caught them before half of them left someone, something Harry hadn't fully developed into yet, but he seemed to be doing a good job at calling people on things lately.

"Why haven't Draco and I met her before then? We are, after all, not only both of your nephew's but also your sons. Technically." Harry stated curiously.

Sirius had seen his point, but had a simpler answer, "Amara doesn't do well with new people, she was Molly's friend before she met Emma and Gabby. She always was a bit... Nervous, as to meeting everyone."

Huffing with disappointment in himself. Harry could just hear both his mother scolding him in the afterlife. "Well, then that makes me feel loads better about running her off," Harry remarked with deep seeded sarcasm, clearly not alright with being the reason the woman had left, let alone with **how** she had left. He was filled with hope as Tonks walked with a small smile, and nodded at Molly, Sirius, and Remus.

"She's outside, just needs a few moments." Tonks said with a gentle smile to Harry and nodded, "She understands Harry, try not to worry about it." She said with a gentle squeeze to his arm, an attempt to calm the boy. She heard what had happened, knew what was going on, they all did, Harry was the only one in the dark about things, but that had been his choice. However, she kind of understood why they hadn’t done some form of an introduction beforehand; the disguise had been done last minute. He knew the kind of pain he'd be in believing she was still dead, the shock of how Gabby had died in front of them all had been a sudden shock.

Harry had a deep feeling that he knew something was being kept from him, but he didn't ask. Harry had found a little note from himself under his pillow that he had no memory as to writing; **_"Don't question why, when or who, blank spots in our memory is a part of safety and security precautions that needed to be taken."_** He honestly didn't think he had written something like that, but it was his handwriting, he even had signatures from Draco, Hermione, and Ron as witnesses to him writing it. When he'd showed them and asked, they had told him they couldn't explain why but he'd written it to himself, an attempt to give his mind some kind of ease from the blank spots in his memory starting between the time of Gabby's and Emma's funerals to when he woke up in Dumbledore's office, confused as to why he was there and why everyone had such fallen faces of worry and concern.

They had given 'Amara' time outside to herself for a short time, Molly and Tonks smiling and tightly hugging the woman when she'd walked back inside. She hadn’t realized this would have happened. Now she wished she could turn back time and decide it was better not to go. She had made this worse without realizing it could have turned out in such a way. Then again, it could have also been worse. Right?

Harry had tried to stay quiet, had gone as far as distracting himself with the twins that he hadn't realized he'd spent the last hour with Orion and Lilian until a shock had come from behind.

"Merry Christmas Harry Potter." The voice had stunned him, a voice that made him smile with excitement and a site he enjoyed when he turned to find a smiling redhead and sapphire blue-eyed fifth year Ravenclaw standing behind him with a red ribbon choker necklace and dressed warmly and casual for their Christmas Dinner.

"I take it you're my Christmas present then?" Harry joked.

Harry’s playfulness had sent Alicia blushing as she giggled along with his laughter, "I hope that line doesn't always work, and no, I'm afraid I'll have to ruin your fun. I'm the surprise, but I'm not your present." Alicia giggled out.

Draco had walked around the corner talking with Ginny as she spoke about Fleur and her brother Bill when they had walked in on Harry and Alicia. Draco grinned wide when they watched Harry pull the young redhead into his arms and slowly danced around with her before kissing her.

Ginny watched with a wide smile, wanting to whisper to Draco she had found a hand quickly silencing her and pulled her back out of the living room with him quietly shushing her, both trying not to laugh.

Emma and Sirius had been off talking when they had witnessed Draco and Ginny acting weird. Curious, the couple moved to find out, only to spook the poor teens, "What are you two doing?" Sirius questioned gently, though his eyes had caught sight off in the corner of his eyes and had looked closer with a double take and grinned at what, rather who, he found.

Not wanting to spook the kissing teens in the living room Sirius poked Emma in the arm and pointed towards Harry and Alicia. As memories flooded his mind of him and Emma catching Lily and James snogging in a corner of the three broomsticks one year, the very same day Sirius had kissed Emma himself. "Now they have a good idea." Sirius joked, his voice a soft whisper - not like it had ever really changed tones, he was always soft-spoken when he was in good company and nature.

The night had gone on with laughter and jokes, Harry had enjoyed his time, even speaking with 'Amara' for a little while and found he liked her company, many things she said or did was like he had Emma back in some small manner.

But their Christmas was not going to end with smiles and cheers.

Harry and Draco had sat down with the few active Order Members at the Burrows living room and discussed what they'd overheard between Severus Snape and Finn Malfoy.

"My cousin is crazy, yeah, but he’s not psychotic like Bellatrix. The way Snape was talking it was like he was a part of this entire thing." Draco explained.

Remus sighed with annoyance and exhaustion, "Did it ever occur to you both that Snape is only trying to use this opportunity to get close to Finn and into the inner circle of Voldemort?" Remus huffed. He didn't want to believe this. Snape had been a part of the Order in secret for years. Even Narcissa was a secret member, but they hadn't heard a word from the Malfoy woman in ages, and that had given Emma high fears that she was either dead or worse, locked in a home with Voldemort and the other Death Eaters, something that was a high possibility.

Lucius would have come up with something about his wife's disloyalties. The man may be a cruel person, but he loved his wife, Lucius Malfoy would do anything in his power to keep her life in safe security. He was terrified of Voldemort, he always found things out, and he'd likely heard the bad news of Emma's escape Harry's first year and the letters between the two women.

"It didn't sound like that," Harry said with a small, hidden huff. Draco spoke up and continued with logical reasons, something that could have very well been the case, "Don't you think it's possible Snape could be an inside traitor, like Pettigrew was to you all? He's the reason Harry's parents are dead, why Emma was nearly killed, don't you think it's possible Snape is also an inside spy for Vol-" 

No," Draco was quickly silenced by both Remus and Sirius.

The older members knew Severus to well, Sirius wasn't even wanting to believe Snape a traitor, "No, Snape has been a part of this Order for years, he has his reasons to be involved with both sides," Sirius defended the man he’d once hated.

Tonks sighed, having enough of the two older men breaking down the two boy's information. She was thinking like an Auror, her training had taught her many things. She was confused as to why Sirius wasn't thinking as such himself considering his Auror license had been reinstated, he had even gone on missions with her himself since his freedom, was astonishing to her. "Maybe they're right. Remus, Sirius, to make an unbreakable vow-" 

"Is no one but us under the impression Snape simply told Finn about making the vow as a lie to get closer to him and gain trust with the boy!" Remus snapped, Remus was growing more irritated, the full moon was on the horizon and he was feeling terrible, he'd allowed his anger and frustration to get to him that night. It was like he was a broken record, something that stopped Tonks in her tracks, she was not wanting to believe it either, however, no one would lie about making a vow such as that, because they were bound to it, life and death. There was no escaping it.

Tonks had no idea why the two were so set in believing Snape was not betraying them, because of the history the three shared involving a friend or member possibly being a traitor had cost them so much more than they'd thought they'd lose. James, Lily, and two unborn children. The memory of the last knowledge made Tonks feel ill.

Emma, in her disguise of Amara, had stayed quiet for the entire conversation, she understood Sirius and Remus' reasons why they were defending Snape, she would too, but the news she was hearing now was shocking to even her, and she was honestly conflicted. Though, she was stunned, Sirius was even defending him, yet she had still stayed silent knowing she'd find out later from him once they were home.

"No, Finn admitted to cursing Katie, he admitted to poisoning the wine Slughorn was going to give Dumbledore as a gift, the very wine that nearly killed Ron! I don't believe it. In my mind, Severus Snape has betrayed the Order and Dumbledore." Harry said speaking up, he didn't trust Snape any longer.

Remus nearly came out of his chair, Severus had done so much for them, sacrificed more than anyone, for Harry’s safety and survival. And the boy didn’t even realize it. "It all comes down to this! Dumbledore trusts Snape, therefore I do, End of discussion." Remus said firmly, running his hands over his paling and tired face and through his hair.

Harry and Draco sighed silently, both boys sharing a concerned look with Tonks. However, her glance had turned to Sirius when he spoke up and continued where his friend had left off. "We can only place our trust in a hand full of others... If we start fighting amongst ourselves now like we did last time, we're doomed all over again and we may not have anyone to continue fighting against him."

Knowing the boys wanted to continue the conversation, yet wanting to simmer everyone's frustration down, Tonks waved her hand a little with a shake of her head to them, a silent recommendation to not continue for the moment. And they unwillingly left it at that.

Harry had walked off to speak with Arthur Weasley in private regarding his letter he owled him a while ago. Arthur had found out that the object that Finn had been looking at had been a Vanishing Cabinet, but what really stumped them, was the fact that the cabinet was still there.

Tonks was shocked when Remus stood and announced they were leaving.

"Won't you both stay?" Molly asked them with concern, she'd noticed they were all being followed. At least those they could find, Molly was barely leaving the house anymore, "It is rather late, and we have room for you both-"

"No thank you, Molly, I think we should be leaving, the first night of the cycle is always the worst. I don't believe Remus will want the children to see him like he gets. But thank you for Christmas Dinner Molly, it was wonderful." Tonks smiled thankfully and hugged the older woman, her worries spiked when Arthur and Sirius looked at Remus rather worried.

"Remus?" Arthur asked with worry. Remus seemed to have not been himself entirely, even for the moon cycle.

"Arthur, get everyone back inside," Sirius said, walking out next to Remus, he knew something had captured his Were-wolf friends' attention, and that gave rise to worry for everyone currently in the surrounding area.

Tonks walked out next to her lover with worry and gently touched his arm, "Darling, what is it?" her words actually shocked Sirius for a moment, drawing his attention to his younger cousin and mouthed _'darling'_ questionably at her. The only response he was graced with was a smile and a silent giggle from Tonks.

He’d noticed her moods had shifted from her previous goofy outgoing nature and giggling young lady, to a young woman who was still fun loving, but stern to degrees with limitations. Her hair hadn't morphed colors since Gabrielle’s death, in fact, her hair had shaded down to a sandy colored blonde she had styled in beach waves, something Sirius felt she was honoring Gabrielle for, to keep a part of the dear lost friend alive to her in some form. Sirius took his mind and eyes from her and redirected his attention back to the situation at hand, something wasn't right. With his Animagus nature being a dog, he could smell something different in the air, but not as strongly as Remus. Again, that was called for concern, but he was always grateful for Remus's strong sense of smell.

None of them were prepared for what happened.

Two balls of flame flew through the air out of the darkness of the sky, landing in the field and circled around the house, leaving everyone in shock. They were stunned when a cloud of smoke landed at the opening of the flames revealing a grinning Bellatrix as she laughed. The small group standing at the doorway were confused by her laughter and grins, she wasn't looking at any of the adults, her eyes had landed on the small form between Molly and Arthur, Athella Snape.

No one expected Bellatrix to just suddenly take off, nor Ella to rush out after her.

"ELLA!" Molly screamed fearfully after the fleeing girl as the girl suddenly dashed out after the Witch.

Bellatrix laughed as she sang like a mad hatter through the fields, "I KILLED BLUE EYED FOXIE! I KILLED BLUE EYED FOXIE! Why don't you come out and catch me, little girl!" She sang, taunting the twelve-year-old out farther from the Burrow.

In a panic, Harry rushed out after her, he'd just happened to see her run out after the deranged Witch, his body had just reacted.

"Harry!" Remus shouted, trying to grab the boy, his attention being drawn back to the fire that was attacking him, Tonks and Sirius.

"NO!" The couple shouted out after the boy.

Sirius had nearly had a heart attack, he was forced to watch Harry jump through the small opening of the fire's ring, it had closed the second Harry had dashed out after the girl screaming out for her, hoping to find her. Instead, Harry ended up having to defend himself the second he rushed through into the fields, deflecting as many attacks as he could that flew after him. It was too late when everything finally clicked, it had been a trap, get the kid out in the open, someone was bound to follow. Harry just happened to be the one that jumped through.

Tonks and Remus had taken on the snake formed fire. They'd been nearly burnt to a crisp trying to rush after the two kids. Making an opening for Sirius and Arthur to go after them, Draco and Emma happened to slip out with the two, running out into the water-logged fields.

The Death Eaters had found the Weasley's burrow, a place that was hidden and meant to be a secret safe haven.

Draco had only one thought, and that was the two that had rushed off after his deranged Aunt, she'd kill Ella if she got the chance to. Draco had a feeling Voldemort had labeled Harry off limits and left to be dealt with by himself. Making anyone else free game, "Ella! Harry!"

For possibly the third time in Sirius's life since being free from his imprisonment he was having a panic attack, Ella and Harry had rushed out in the middle of a war zone, his heart pounded in his chest. "Harry! Ella!" Were they after Harry? Though, if they figured out, or knew, about Severus's kids, then Ella had just made herself an open target out there.

The Death Eaters would not only try to kill her, but they'd grab her first and use her against Severus. For that reason alone, Athella Snape had just became Sirius's first priority. Harry could hold his own well enough for some time, and there were others running out there looking for him and the girl, but he had to find the girl. Sirius had a feeling Harry may not have been the target that night, but that Ella and Horus may have been.

The conclusion to that theory was simply based on the fact that Bellatrix had made direct eye contact with the girl then taunted her, leading Ella to rush out after her. Harry was likely just a bonus.

"ELLA!" Sirius relaxed for a moment when they found Harry, his heart suddenly sank when his eyes had taken notice that his son, was in an opening circling himself. Ella was nowhere in sight. "Harry, where is she?" But they had found one kid, now all they had to do was find the second one.

Sirius saw the panic and fear in Harry when he'd asked about Ella, "I don't know, I lost her. She isn’t answering and Lestrange stopped her crazy singing, so I couldn't -" They had ended up in a fight once more, from nearly every angle. Harry hadn't had the chance to finish his words. He'd lost Ella, a twelve-year-old girl, Gabrielle's daughter. The Snape children were the last living relations they had left of Gabrielle.

Ella had been snatched up by a strong and sudden force, lifting her off her feet and into a hard body. She felt like the person was trying to suffocate her with the amount of pressure he was using, even against her small body struggling he was much stronger than her and didn't need to use as much strength as he was. She'd realized once her body had made contact that it was a man holding her. Looking down at the arm and hands she found he was covered in hair. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her and with the chance, she had to get a look at the face from the moonlight. And she had regretted it.

Ella's heart stopped, fear claimed her all around and sinking into her very core. Finally seeing the identity, her struggling grew. She was more determined, and even more terrified. She couldn't scream, the hand covering her mouth had muffled her attempts. No one could find her, even if they were shouting for her, they wouldn’t be able to find her unless she gave a sign.

A thought struck her when she realized her wand had a bit of a point to it sharp enough to use us a weapon. Taking the chance, Ella used her wand as a form of a knife and stabbed him in his side. The sudden shout of pain had loosened his hold on her, giving her a chance to scream just one thing, "GREYBACK!"

Everyone's blood ran cold once Ella's scream rang through them, a scream full of fear and panic. Greyback was present, and that scared them all the more, Remus was the most fearful as thought’s scattered through his mind. Had he bitten her? Was he going to kill her slowly? Was he trying to kill her now? Where was she? _‘I’ll kill him!’_

Harry had known exactly where she was, just a few yards from them. His body reacted before he even realized what he was doing, "ELLA!" he shouted after them, taking off in their direction, yet hope was short-lived as multiple clouds of smoke lifted up into the air, fleeing the area, one was just a few feet in front of him, dark mist forming and hadn't yet taken off. His heart skipped a few beats as he saw the sliver of blonde hair, his green eyes connecting with her bright blue's, the fear he saw in her eyes had made him nearly choking on his breath.

"HARRY!" her scream had sent a jolt of fear through him, chilling his bones, but she'd woken him up from his frozen state and the slow motion his mind was moving at as he watched. His fear had hit him five times as much when a flashed memory of Gabrielle's death in the Ministry of Magic flooded his mind. Just like her mother, she'd be gone in seconds if they took off.

Harry watched her hand reaching out for him, he felt his own wrap around her smaller hand and gripped like a vise, pulled her towards him and stupefied the snarling face that came out of the mist that had nearly made Harry scream.

The curse had sent Greyback soaring back and the girl into Harry's arms. The sudden force of her slamming into him and the curse hitting Greyback with as much force it had hit him had sent the two back onto the muddy ground, both breathing with adrenaline rushing through them with Harry's arms tightly wrapped around Ella with a grip a snake may have been envious of.

Letting the moment sink in that she was safe for the time being, Athella's shaking form began crying into Harry's arms. She'd not only endangered everyone else, but she'd nearly been kidnapped by none other than Fenrir Greyback and also put others in harm’s way to run out after her.

Emma was in sheer panic. They couldn't find either kid. Harry had taken off and there were no more shouts, just silence with the night echoing of crickets. "Rose!" Her fear was causing her to have a panic attack and Sirius was having an issue keeping her calm. "Harry!" They'd waited only moments before Emma had finally had a breakdown, her tears flowed, fearful she'd lost not only Harry but her best friends' daughter. She wouldn’t survive this one emotionally if both were lost.

Harry had wanted to answer them the first few times they'd called out around for them but he couldn't find his voice, he had to take his time to regain his voice and ground himself just enough for him to finally shout out with whatever voice he had left, "We're over here!" he called out shakenly. Forcing himself to stand he picked up a still crying Ella and walked to meet the others and was met with a tear-stained 'Amara' checking them both.

Crying scared and relieved tears at seeing they were both standing there and alive in one piece. Emma calmed herself as best she could.

They were shocked back to reality upon an explosion of flames being seen off in the distance stopping Harry and the others, fear sank farther in him as he watched with the others from the distance of the Burrow in flames. They all took off towards the house as it was crumbling. “Molly!”

Arthur had rushed back to his wife, fearful her and the others were still inside, He was relieved when he found everyone out and away from the flames that were devouring their home.

"Where is she? Where's Ella!" Fred shouted at them as the group came into the clearing.

Hearing Fred, Ella had jumped from Harry's arms and stumbled as she ran straight into Fred’s arms. "Don't you ever do that again." Fred sighed, holding her tight and trying to keep it in his mind that she was safe, alive and in arms reach.

"Rosie!" Horus shouted to her, his sudden presence was known to her when he'd pulled her from Fred and held her himself, tears running down his face, "If you ever do that again I'll stun you where you stand." He mumbled fearfully, crying into his sisters' hair. This had to of been the fourth time since they were six, she'd ever seen her brother cry, this had been the second time she'd ever seen him this upset that he was shaking in her arms. The first time had been when they were told about their mother. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry." She cried, her tears running once more as the two siblings held and cried into one another's arms.

Sirius walked up to Harry and pulled the dazing looking boy into his arms, holding him tight, one that was returned. "You scared us," he breathed softly with fear and relief. He'd let him go when the others flooded into Harry's arms, hugging him. Everyone making some room for Alicia's crying self to latch onto him, and Harry made no complaint, he wanted to cry himself, but he found he couldn't at the moment. So, he stuck with holding the redhead currently wrapped up in his arms.

Sirius moved back, watching the scene before him, they had gotten very lucky that night. They could have easily lost two kids, but his fears had become more when Remus and Tonks returned empty-handed, meaning Greyback had gotten away, the beast was gone, and their enemy was still as dangerous as it was before.

"Why did they attack here, of all times and places?" Tonks questioned with confusion, nearly out of breath. They had run off in search of the Were-Wolf man as quickly as they could. Seeing the house burning had them rushing back as fast as they possibly could have.

"Because we were unprepared, this was a safe house, a haven away from the war zone. They attacked here because it was a message…" Emma spoke up as she watched the beloved Burrow crumbling with teary eyes, _'I'm so sorry Molly,'_

Tonks was still confused, but Molly had asked before she could, a sad cry in her voice as she watched her family's home fall, "What message? This is a message? To who?"

"To us, the Order and everyone fighting against Voldemort. “Nowhere and no one is safe.” Attack a safe Haven after you've located it and it sends your enemy a message that you know who is with you, where they are, and they know you're watching." Sirius stated sadly with a heavy sigh. "Molly, Emma had a spell around your home. If anything happened, the spell would activate, and all the belongings inside would be moved to the Cabin. The moment the Burrow was destroyed, the spell activated. Hopefully, everything got away uncharred." He said softly, handing her the keys to the Cabin, a place he and Emma knew the Weasley's loved second to their wonderful home, "It's yours. We had the papers documented last year in case something like this happened."

To say the Weasley's were shocked was an understatement, they were beyond grateful and very much impressed that Emma had done all that right under their noses. However, she had asked, years ago, to add a few emergency enchantments to their Burrow just in case and to be on the safer side. She explained she didn't want another Godric's Hollow to happen a second time and with that explanation, the Weasley's had allowed her to tinker her enchantments into their own safety nets around their home and the land. For all those years she could have been adding protective enchantments and emergency transportation's inside their home in case something happened while she wasn't there just for them to be safe? Yes, they were stunned.

Molly had covered her mouth with thankful tears running down her face as Sirius gently placed the skeleton key in her shaking hands, she'd noticed that the design the rustic skeleton key had on the hilt had changed from a Rose to a swirling 'W' for Weasley. Not caring about secrets Molly walked up to the still-disguised Emma and hugged her.

Emma smiled and hugged the woman back with a wide smile, she was able to give back to them after all the years they'd been there for her and helped Harry, "You and your family have done so much for me and so many others over the years, Molly. It was time someone gave back to what you and your family has done for us."

Harry wouldn't have believed it had he not seen or heard it himself. Sirius had said Emma had done it for them, and he'd been confused as to why Mrs. Weasley would have hugged Amara. Until a thought hit him, everyone was still speaking of his aunt as if she were still alive, no one cried or teared up like they should have had she been dead, and Molly hugging Amara when she should have hugged Emma just made his suspicions more pronounced in his mind. Unless she was his Aunt and 2nd mother in disguise. Something that angered Harry only for a moment. His note suddenly made sense, it wasn't exactly **_his_** safety and security, but his Aunt’s. If he knew she was still alive after she was supposed to be dead, his mental connection with Voldemort would allow the dark Wizard to know as well and Emma would have become a target once again, like he still was. And they'd have continued using him to get to her. But for now, they were just suspicions. Very strong suspicions. An Idea came to him suddenly, Emma was amazing, like Snape, with guarding her mind, if Amara was Emma, she'd be able to teach him, since he'd ruined his chance with Snape when he'd _Protago_ ed his Defense against the Dark Arts Professor just last week. He supposed he'd find out later.

Making their way to the Cabin, the Weasley's had discovered Sirius had been right, all of their belongings had been relocated, nothing was missing. And to their knowledge at the moment, "Aunt Emma had this place made, right?" Harry asked as he looked around.

Sirius smiled, “Yes, she picked this location because it was our place. Then had the Cabin built.”

A thought suddenly occurred to Molly and Arthur, "Where is all of Emma's things? Everything here is ours." Arthur had asked concerned her things had vanished or been overtaken by their belongings.

To that, Sirius smiled with some laughter. "Our things were moved to a different location, don't worry. Now, shall we settle back in for bed? Ella bath, Harry there is a second bathroom upstairs to the left end of the hall."

Now they were confused, the cabin previously only had one bathroom and one floor, "We had it extended, a great deal actually. Figured the extra rooms and space may come in handy for you all." Sirius explained with amusement.

"Oh, well. That is mighty kind." Arthur wasn't used to this, he and Molly were usually the ones helping, it wasn't every day you were gifted a home on the same night your previous and very loved home was destroyed and burned to the ground, then walk away with everything from inside still intact.

‘Amara’ grinned, equally amused and pleased they approved, “Yes, well. Sirius is right, baths, everybody, and possibly have the need to find our rooms."

"This should be interesting." The Weasley twins mumbled to themselves and one another, both sharing a look, as glad as they were, they wouldn't have to continue asking Emma for the keys to spend the weekend at the cabin, they were going to be living in it. It was relearning the cabin as their own home and new rooms that were what they'd find to be a bit tiring.

Sirius silently laughed to the twins and patted them on their backs, but his fun laughter had been lost when Harry stated something he shouldn't know about, "You and my dad hexed Snape at the Lake's tree. Mum rushed you, Aunt Emma was on her way down the hillside with Aunt Mell..."

Sirius, Remus and 'Amara' shared a look of shock as they stared at Harry, "How-" 

"… I _Protagoed_ Professor Snape, he wouldn't let me have a break and I was tired of having my mind probed. So, I figured to give him a taste of his own medicine. But what I saw was not what I was expecting to see. You're both bullies? Both my fathers are bullies … Is that why Professor Snape was always on his own? Why he looked sad and lonely? Why he hates me?" Harry was calling them out, Emma wasn't there, to Harry’s full knowledge to tell him, and he just hoped Sirius or Remus would tell him what happened. However, Emma had been standing just a few feet from them and it had taken almost everything in her power to not start laughing at the two Marauder’s shocked expressions.

"Harry, you have to understand, we were kids. Stupid teenagers." Sirius said, trying to defend his and the rest of their past actions, that was a day he and Remus had tried to forget.

"I want to know what happened, all of it… I heard mum calling dad a… honestly, I don't think I heard her right, but I think she called him a 'toerag'." Harry said with confusion. He watched Sirius and 'Amara' share a look, Harry’s suspicions grew the second ‘Amara’ nodded her head to him and returned to her conversation with the Weasley parents, explaining the Cabin's new layout for them. Something she couldn’t have possibly known, could she?

Knowing there was no going around it, Sirius sighed and held an arm out to him, telling Harry to follow him, "There's one thing, one room Emma didn't want to be touched or moved. And I'll show you why." He said to Harry, leading him down the halls of the Cabin and opened a door revealing a study room, a small room lined with books and against a wall was a silver Pensieve and a glass stand lined with vials that Harry could only assume were memories. Likely Emma’s memories.

With a sad sigh, Sirius closed the door behind them and walked to the glass stand and stared into them, "Her memories are here, and this is the memory you're asking about. Are you sure you want to see this?" Sirius asked, knowing once Harry witness what happened, he'd probably not see any of the Marauder’s in the same light.

"…Yes… is… is Godric's Hollow in here?" Fearful as he asked, fighting back the tears that were threatening to show themselves, but he was more fearful of the answer. And to his sinking heart, Harry watched his uncle nod his head yes, turned back to the stand and picked up a second vile and handed them over to Harry. Both parties' hands shook with anxiety, fear, wonder, and unknown curiosity. Harry was finally going to see what happened that night.

Taking a breath and silently gulped back his fear, Harry looked back to his uncle, "Will you stay with me?" He asked softly, his fear was too overwhelming he wasn't sure he'd have the courage to look at Emma's memories of Godric's Hollow alone.

Sirius smiled softly to Harry and nodded, "For as long as you need me."

"Can more than one person go in?"

"This Pensieve can yes, why? You want someone to go in with you?" Truthfully, Sirius didn't want to witness either ordeal a second time, but if Harry asked, he knew he'd witness the memories with him.

"Please?"

With Harry’s question obvious, Sirius nodded and held a handout for one of the vials, "Which one shall we see first?" he asked a bit nervously, and let a relieved sigh leave him when Harry handed him the Lake incident. Pouring in the vial, both took Harry's Journey down Emma's memories.

Clouds formed around them as the scene unfolded before them, a memory Sirius would never forget, nor the feelings, he felt when it had happened.

* * *

**Memory- 1975**

_They watched Gabrielle rushing up to Emma shouting for her with fear and worry, half out of breath and Emma give her panting friend her undivided attention. Both watched his aunt's reaction to her, confusion clear on her face, **"What is it?"** she asked, though Gabby held up a hand for a few extra needed moments and Emma reluctantly waited, **"Down by the lake, Severus... Marauders... Oh! Come on!"** Gabby said, finally giving up with words that clearly did not want to leave her mouth properly and pulled her friend from her set at the fountain and rushed them both towards the lake where a scene unfolded before them._

_The scene changed, Emma and Gabrielle were running down the side of the hill towards the group of boys and after Lily. Harry watched with shock and some embarrassment as Severus was levitated mid-air by his father, James, Severus Snape was left hanging upside down struggling._

_Sirius sighed and nudged Harry to continued watching as Emma, Lily, and Gabby stormed down the hill. They watched Emma's jaw drop when her eyes fell on all four of her boys and a few others surrounding the 'famous pranksters' all laughing at Severus._

_Sirius now saw why Emma had been so angry and embarrassed. Truthfully, he was too, especially now that he got to witness this himself from her side._

_They watched the furious young Evans rush to the group seething in anger only to stop as Lily rushed the boys herself and shouted at James, calling him a bully and a toe rag..._

"Okay yeah, I heard right… but a toe rag?"

_Sirius tried not to laugh at Harry, **'That's all he's got to say? Well, this should be interesting.'**_

_But his fun had ended the second he heard James speak. Sirius shook his head with a sigh, **"Go out with me and I'll leave him be, Evans."** James grinned playfully._

_Emma's jaw nearly hit the ground in disbelief._

"Classic Prongs," _Sirius said softly, mainly to himself, but he grinned a bit when Harry lightly snickered. Yet again, their laughter ended seconds later._

**_"I don't need any help from some filthy mud-blood!"_ ** _The girls gasped with disbelief as the words left a humiliated and furies Severus Snape._

_Harry's jaw dropped, and Sirius took a heated huff, his fists balled tightly, fists itching to slug the now Potions Master._

_They were both shocked and very angry Severus had even said such a thing as they watched the Marauder's move for their wands, an act of a challenge._

_Fearful of what would happen, Lily screamed at them to leave him alone, freezing the boys in their movements. But the look on Lily’s face was enough to send them all into attack mode once again,_

_Harry smiled softly at Gabrielle, she was beautiful, even as a growing girl._ "Their beautiful, mum, Emma, especially Mellena, or Gabrielle." _Harry watched Gabby huff and let loose, **"Severus Snape! You take that back right this second!"** Gabby had shouted in anger at Severus. Harry couldn’t hold back his grin, and Sirius smiled, tears threatening his grey eyes. He had three friend's dead, and one who had betrayed them. All Sirius had left was Emma, Tonks, Remus, Harry, and Draco._

_Even though Harry knew it was just a memory, he gripped his wand tightly when Snape had snapped at Gabrielle, **"Oh shut it, you annoying twig!"** and stammered off in a fury. They watched with shock when they watched Snape walk only a few steps before all his words truly registered in his mind of what he had shouted at the only real friend he had ever had but forced himself to continue walking, head bowed low in shame._

_Harry's heart fell as he watched the tears rimming his mother's green eyes, she was trying not to cry as she muttered softly to Gabrielle, **"Thanks, Gabby. For trying. I'm sorry about Sev, just ignore him, alright."** And walked away. Harry took a few steps to follow after, yet he'd been stopped by a sad Sirius. _"It's a memory, Harry. You can't do anything to change it…. Unfortunately."

_Their eyes turned to his father. Watching as James moved and called after Lily, **"Lily-"** James had been saddened by what had happened, yet he’d been instantly silenced by Emma and Harry was shocked to say her temper had not changed, she was still as fiery the last he saw her angry. The two looked at her heated glare, and Harry had watched everyone's flinch, even the older Sirius flinch, but he saw more in the older Sirius he was with. He saw sadness, regret and utter humiliation as he watched._

**_"Let it be, James Potter! You and your rotten crew have done enough damage today!"_ ** _Emma shouted._

_Harry flinched himself, but the reaction the older Sirius had given was more so. He'd closed his eyes tightly, forcing himself to open his eyes and watch. Her tone was enough to send a shiver through everyone watching, sending them all off wondering if the boys would actually make it out of this alive. Harry honestly wanted to look away, but the interaction was so interesting to him he couldn’t look away. He was watching the great Marauder's, Kings of Mischief, being put in place by a kid,_ "How old was she?"

"Twelve," _Sirius muttered, kicking a small stone with his booted foot._

_Harry and the older Sirius watched James mentally slapping himself._ "We only just met her the previous year, so we were still getting to know the little fiery thing she was. But, those angry eyes of hers' had clouded over so full of danger, I was the only one fool enough to not see it. We had no clue how to handle this at all. Just wait, it gets worse."

_And Harry watched on._

_They were stunned, shocked really, at the little redhead for saying what she had to them, their mouths dropped. However, Sirius began digging himself a deeper hole, **"We didn't do a thing to cause this, Evans!"** the young Sirius shouted. Harry looked to his older uncle and saw he was forcing himself to watch. That gave him the clue that this day had hurt him and Emma very much. His attention had been drawn back to his Aunt's small and angry voice shouting at the young Sirius Black, **"Had you mutts left him alone and never bullied the poor boy, he'd had never said what he had out of humiliation!"**_

"Round 1 goes to mum. Round 2 nearly over." _Harry stated, a sympathetic flinch was given to his uncle,_ "Sorry,"

"I deserve it," _Sirius sighed out as he took in a deep breath to hold back his breaking heart._

**_"Padfoot-"_ ** _James tried to stop him, but he continued. But Sirius instantly shot back to the young Evans, **"Shove it, Evans! Snivillus just lost the only friend he ever had. He'd no right to say that to her! Why are you defending that git, Fox!"**_

_They watched as the anger clouded his young grey eyes dangerously, trying to find a reason behind this, to defend his and his friends’ actions. His mind was no longer clear and full of making mischief. Sirius Black was out for a verbal fight, and as he watched he no longer felt embarrassment or humiliated, his heart_ _shattered. But he knew this was going to be nothing like Godric's Hollow memory._

_James and Remus both knew they would all grow to regret this day till the day they died, and they had, at least James did. The three stood back, knowing they could do absolutely nothing to stop this, both of them were too stubborn, Sirius all the more._

_They watched Gabby grab Emma's arm, she was trying to gently pull the girl back towards the school, away from the argument. They both needed space, but Gabby was lightly swatted away, **"Emma-"** But she too was batted off, and the argument continued. She was furious. They watched her take in a large angry breath that filled her lungs, her body trembled with anger, _"Aunt Mell always said you could always calm her down, I never knew you two had had this kind of a fight." _Harry stated he was shocked they were arguing this way._

_"_ She was right, I have a talent for calming Emma, however, we had a few bumps… Big bumps, getting there. _" Sirius sighed out. He was going to watch this. He had to._

**_"Sirius Black, I am ashamed of all of you. Mostly you, for even claiming that you lot did nothing to cause this! You all know what happened was the cause, had it not been Lily, it would have been me he'd have said it too."_ **

_Sirius could still remember how angry he'd been when she'd said that, and he was honest when he'd answered, speaking each word as his younger self said them, but this time he finished it,_ **_"And I'd have hexed the prat for saying it Emma! My Fox is off limits to anyone-_** who'd say such a thing to my Fox."

_Harry watched his Uncle, mesmerized by Sirius for the moment, Harry saw the love his adopted father held for his adopted mother, but he heard it in Sirius's voice, saw it in his eyes as he watched the twelve-year-old Emma,_ "Even at her young age, I was in love with her the second I laid eyes on her on that train."

**_"Don't you dare pretend you'd have been defending me, Black. This happened because you all are bullying the poor boy… What the bloody hell is wrong with you!"_ **

**_"Nothing according to the ladies,"_ ** _he grinned childishly. He was brought back from his thoughts as Emma's wide strides brought her three feet from him, the closer she had gotten with her glare, the more he wanted to back away. He had only ever seen her happy and fun-loving side, never her anger, at least not directed at him._

_Harry had stopped watching the scene and instead had watched his uncle, who was watching with intense grey eyes that brimmed with tears as Emma's next words had slammed even Harry's beating heart nearly stopped, **"Don't you ever speak to me or my sister, again. Y-you're all foolish, humiliating, bullies. I can't believe how stupid I was. You're just as bad as them."**_

_Harry watched Sirius flinch, Harry’s heart skipped a beat or two. But Harry had returned to the scene, watching his uncle, and the others as they looked away, **"Foxy, I'm sorry."** Sirius had said, his playful laughter was obviously an act. He had been rewarded with silence, Harry had shared the sinking feeling of such a thing happening to him, and he felt for his uncle._

_Sirius felt his heart flutter down to his stomach just like it had that same day. His breathing became slightly difficult as he watched his young self, shouting again, his tone sounded almost panicked after her retreating form. **"Fox?"**_

_Harry's heart dropped with Sirius and the others as they all watched as the young Sirius was once again ignored, as she and Gabby continued walking away._

_They watched Sirius’s younger self's breathe as if he were in pain,_ "This, Harry, is the power of the Evans sisters _." Sirius softly said to his nephew, saddened as he watched the young Emma leaving_ , "I was more a fool back then than I am now, though I'm still a fool. But I'll always love her. Forever and always, beyond eternity. That has been our vow for years. She never did answer me though, I guess that was what hurt the most. She didn’t even look back.”

_The two listened with shattering hearts as the young memory of Sirius shouted after her again. Harry watched with a breaking heart as the younger 15-year-old Sirius took a few shaking steps after her, his legs nearly buckling under him. **"Love!"** He was once again ignored, and Sirius, memory and elder, nearly fell to his knees as the memory of himself screamed after her once again, **"Emma!"** Her name came out of his mouth shaken, practically begging her to answer him. _

_A gut wrench is what it was, and those who were in ear shot, mainly a few girls, had their hands over their mouths in shock trying not to cry as they watched, and a few male classmates felt for the fifth-year boy._

“You have no idea how much we all regretted this day, me more so. All because we found humor in humiliating a poor boy who had done nothing to us. Yes, Harry, we were bullies. But look where Snape is now, and where the four of us Marauders are now. One’s dead, one barely has a home, and another betrayed us, and I was locked in a prison for something I never did. Snape is a Potions Professor, now a Defense against the Dark Arts Professor in the very school he was bullied in. He succeeded in life and never sent to prison for being involved with the death eaters, simply because he sold his soul to Dumbledore to save Gabrielle, your parents, you and Emma. He warned your dad and betrayed the very Dark Wizard that never got the chance to kill him for betraying him. Where I’m standing, Snape had more success in his life than we ever did. Because this was our karma, fate found our terrible actions and wanted to pay us back in full for being such terrible people to him. And others ended up suffering because of it. However, I have to say you are a gift that never should have suffered at that monster’s hands. A gift I’m glad is still here. A chance I was given to help you, keep you safe. Your father did a lot for me, and now I protect his very legacy. His greatest achievement in life.”

Harry looked back to his uncle, the pain filled expression on his face, and a thought occurred to him, _‘If this was painful for him, how bad was Godric's Hollow going to be?’_


	39. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 39 **

* * *

The two were pulled back out of the Pensieve, and Harry was worried. "If that was painful for you, how bad is it going to be when we see Godric's Hollow?" Harry asked with worry for his Godfather. He didn't want to cause Sirius any more pain than the memory already had.

Softly sighing, Sirius patted Harry on the back, "I'll be fine, I've seen Godric's Hollow, witnessed the destruction firsthand after it was over. Hagrid and I found them, and you." Sirius said taking a seat in one of the study chairs with a sigh, "I never did see that one though. I happened to see the memory labeled when she showed the vial you’re holding in your hand now."

Harry wanted a final opinion, a final decision, but he had a feeling he already knew his final decision, "How bad was it?"

"That is something we all will have a different definition of Harry, I was not there as an infant, nor was I there to save them. However, no matter how terrible, I think you should make that conclusion yourself. No matter how painful, no matter how sad. This is a chance to have some closure. I will remind you though, that memory is incomplete. She took the untainted memory from her mind to remember who the traitor was. Wormtail had messed with her memory, remember? She didn't know who it was. But you can start wherever you want in that memory. Come on, let’s get this over with, shall we?" Sirius said with a sigh.

"You sure? I can-"

"No, no one should witness this memory alone, I didn't. So, I won't make you." Sirius said, walking up to the Pensieve. Harry watched his uncle take in a deep breath before pouring the memory, "Ready?"

Copying his uncle, Harry took in a deep breath to attempt to ground himself and stay calm, "No, not really." Harry admitted. He was terrified.

Sirius smiled weakling and grabbed his nephew's shoulder in comfort. And both took a breath and started their second journey down memory lane, one Sirius knew neither would want to remember after this.

Smoke circled around them until they were outside of a two-story home, a small white fence around the house and Harry's breath caught as tears filled his eyes. He'd found his mother and father, and a one-year-old him in his mother's arms with Emma and Sirius. They were obviously waiting for someone. “We were waiting for Peter this night, it's 1981, 26th of October… The dates were burned into my memory." Sirius clarified for him, and the memory shifted to the worst night of everyone's life that was close to the Potters and Evans.

* * *

** Memory- October 31st, 1981 **

**_"You alright there,"_ ** _the name had been forgotten and the figure left in shadows and faded, the shadow's voice had been left distorted, but Harry knew who it was, Peter Pettigrew **, "Would you like some Coffee?"** Emma had asked, and he'd accepted the warm cup of morning caffeine as Lily and James walked down still in their Pajamas yawning._

_Harry's heart raced as he watched his mother carrying a still sleepy baby Harry, watched as he'd later fussed over not wanting to eat his breakfast and Lily had turned him over to James with a small laugh and a wide smile as his dad smiled in return, set his coffee and Daily Prophet down and moved to sit next to Harry and did the cute and funny, **"Here's the airplane,**_ **Zoom _,"_** _Harry watched himself laugh, smile and clapped his tiny hands and ate his breakfast just like that._

_Emma had smiled and giggled to herself as she leaned against the counters, warm mug in hand and dressed in her casual black leggings, Gabby's favorite oversized red knitted sweater and a gold, red and orange scarf Molly had made for her last Christmas with boot socks fit for October weather. She'd let her long dark red hair wave down her back. Though her eyes continued to travel over to the figure, who still looked as though he was panicking on the inside as he watched the family cooing over their one-year-old son. His eyes were the only thing Emma hadn't forgotten._

_She'd smiled and nodded her head a bit at him when his eyes moved over to her, her smile hadn't reached her eyes and that was when Emma saw it, fear, jealousy, and a look of pure evil and delight of deviousness. Harry and Sirius had even caught the look. Harry froze, frightened as panic set in and the scene changed once again._

_It was late at night; their keeper was nowhere around. Harry and Sirius watched Emma rush to Harry's bedroom where Lily and James were putting Harry to bed, **"Pack up Harry, we have to leave, now-"** Emma hadn't had the chance to finish when the front door was opened. Harry's heart dropped and looked out over the railing, yet he found nothing to his fear._

_They watched James grab her arms, looking out of the bedroom then back to Emma with a whisper, **"What's the matter?"**_

**_"James, where's your wand?"_ ** _Emma whispered, her eyes filled with panicking tears, and her body was shaking. Emma didn't know what to do. The keeper had betrayed them, and Sirius was nowhere near them and wouldn't be able to get here in time._

_James had reached for the pocket of his house robe. Realizing it wasn't there he closed his eyes with a deep sigh of dread, **"It's downstairs, I left it in the lounge by accident, damn... Where's-?"**_

**_"James,"_ ** _the keeper's name had once again been distorted, but Harry and Sirius knew who she was talking about, Peter Pettigrew, **"is the traitor we've been looking for."** _

_Harry knew he couldn't do anything, but he found he'd rather shift on his feet instead of trying to do something and hurt himself,_ "It's a memory, it's a memory," _Sirius heard him whispering to himself, honestly he knew Harry was doing a better job at the moment than he had the first time he witnessed her memory. But he still rested a hand to Harry's shoulder and gently squeezed, an attempt to try to comfort the boy as he watched as the scene shifted once again._

_They watched Emma let out a silent breath of relief when she spotted nothing and moved along. They saw the hope swell in her when she found James's wand sitting right where he'd said it was, only problem was, a cloaked figure was now suddenly standing mere feet from the table, wand drawn at her._

_This time, Harry tried to do something,_ "Mum! _" he tried moving for her, but Sirius had wrapped his arms around him, holding his nephew back in place in his arms._

"It's a memory, Harry. No matter what you do, you can't change it, I'm sorry…" _but no matter what he did, Harry still struggled against Sirius as he shouted for Emma and watched with horror as a flash of green, a silent killing curse, flew at her._

_And the war had begun._

_Sirius still panicked at watching Emma drop and roll towards the table, heading for James's wand, but luck was not on her side that night and both had shouted for her, obviously nothing different was going to happen, because_ **" _Reducto!"_** _was still shouted and the curse still flew at her. Both were very thankful it hadn't hit her, but unluckily the spell had indeed hit the table and both table and James's wand were turned to dust._

_The blast had sent Emma back, knocking her head off the corner of the bookshelf, causing a small yet nasty gash to split open on her left temple. A scar she still carried to the day._

"No!" _Harry shouted in panic, after seeing her murdered the previous year he was left scared of anything happening to her, this was definitely making him fearful and very panicked. This moment was now very real to him. Memory or not, Harry was witnessing the frightful massacre of the night he and Emma had lost everything._

_Sirius was trying his best to keep his breathing even and settled, chanting in his own mind that what they were witnessing was just a memory, but it still hadn't stopped the tears that fell from his eyes as he watched._

**_"Emma!"_ ** _Lily had scream, fear running through both sisters, one thinking her baby sister had just been killed and the other thinking her sister and nephew were soon to be murdered._

**_"No,"_ ** _but her voice wasn't working. Emma's tone was barely above a grunted whisper._

**_"FOX!"_** _they heard James shout for the fallen redhead, heard his feet shuffling down the stairs to come help her, wandless if need be. Harry panicked, fresh tears spilling over his eyes and he screamed,_ "No, DAD!"

_The memory was too real. But it quickly turned into a night’s terror. One they knew they wouldn't be able to forget. Not even in death._

_Sirius had released Harry, both taking off towards the stairs, "_ PRONGS!" _Sirius shouted with fear. They heard nothing, saw no one, they kept being flashed back to Emma's fallen form in the living room and forced to watch Emma as she tried her voice again, but once again it had failed her, **"Jamie… Stay…"** her ears rang, Harry and Sirius could hear her from where they were, then again with it being her memory, they were going to hear her regardless._

**_"Lily, Run!"_ ** _James screamed._

_A flash of green lit the dark house from the stairs and a heavy thud sounded, Sirius grabbing Harry, pulling the boy into his arms to cover his eyes from seeing the site of his father being killed, both witnesses had tossed their withheld emotions to the curb and pretty much said_ 'to hell with it' _as tears rolled down their faces._

**_"JAMES!"_ ** _They heard Lily's fearful voice scream from the top of the stairs as she ran back into Harry's bedroom, baby in arms._

"MUM!" Harry screamed. Watching them helplessly. If only he could have saved them. But this was a memory. Not the past.

_But they were beat to it by Emma rushing up the stairs for her sister and nephew. **"LILY!"** They heard her fear and watched her whimper at James' dead body as she continued up and rushing into the room they watched her tackle the cloaked figure, knocking their wand a bit away from them, **"Lily run!"** and her sister had, with Harry locked in her arms. Emma may had been wandless, but she was never unarmed, she had her body and she'd use it._

_They saw the tears running down her face as Lily held Harry close to her and rushed down the stairs passed James's body, fear rushed through her as she ran out one of the house doors, but she hadn’t eft the house, meaning they were trapped. Harry and Sirius were torn between who to rush after. Being so undecided they ended up being frozen in their places. All they could do was watch._

_But what shocked Harry out of his frozen shock was his aunt's shouting voice that sent fearful chills through him and she screamed, **"Over my dead body!"**_

_Harry moved swiftly from his spot he'd had his feet frozen in and rushed into the bedroom as he heard a blood lusted voice shout down at her with laughter, **"Gladly!"**_

"Mum!" _He honestly didn't know who to call what, he knew who his parents were, but Emma had been like a mother to him, just like Mrs. Weasley, so to him, both Lily and Emma were his mothers’ in his views._

_"_ FOX!" _Sirius hadn't realized he'd done what he'd done the first time he'd walked through the memory, he screamed for her. Hoping with all hopes she'd hear him and move. To do anything._

_Sirius was fearful something would happen even though both knew deep down and at the back of their minds this was just a memory, it was instinct for Sirius to protect Harry,_ "Harry!"

_They heard the one-year-old memory Harry crying from fear and not understanding what was happening, they had feared he may pass out. And Harry was truthfully shocked he hadn't passed out from all his crying and had soon began hiccupping from the amount of screaming cry's he was going through. They witnessed Lily rushing back inside and towards the stairs only to have a small body slam into her, pulling her and Harry in a different direction, away from Lily's wand's direction, as Voldemort tossed curse after curse chasing after them, **"This way, hurry."**_

"How'd she get there so fast?" _Harry questioned, his adrenaline and fear caused him to pant,_ "Memory, sing it to yourself if you have to Harry." _Sirius said, pulling him down the stairs and around the corner, the two had stopped suddenly at hearing a malicious laughter echoing through the whole house sending fearful shivers through the two women, Harry and Sirius._

_His uncle used himself as a shield as they stared at the face of what was once Voldemort and watched Lily and Emma run for their lives. Lily pulling her sister towards the living room back near the stairs in hope to get to her wand, **"Emma, my wand. It's in the bedroom."**_

**_"We'll get there- AH!"_ **

_The two watching the memory had watched as a curse narrowly missed Emma, Harry had tried to grab his mother, but his hand had gone right through Lily, shimmering out smoked clouds and the scene changed once again to the two sisters facing off Voldemort head on._

**_"I don't believe I've ever had this much fun before! I'll definitely remember this night,"_** _Voldemort laughed, and Harry felt sick._ "I think I'll enjoy watching him lose." _Harry grumbled._

_Sirius silently agreed with a nod but had grinned as Emma had retorted back, she was famous for mouthing off._ **_"Gee, how wonderful, I suppose we should be honored then if you'll remember us."_** _she snapped at him._

_Sirius couldn't help but laugh a little with some pride,_ "That's my girl." _Sirius grinned,_ "Now I think I know where you get it from. Lily had a way with words, Emma was just a smart ass sometimes, but your mother did do a very fine job teaching her a lot of her tricks, and Emma's taught you and Draco."

_Voldemorts’ eyes glared heatedly at her, a wide sadistic grin as he continued to eye the young Evans, **"You, I'll definitely remember."** Neither sister liked the way he'd said that, nor the way he eyed Emma._

_Harry was disgusted,_ "That's my aunt and my mum he just eyed… Remind me to vomit when we get back." _Harry remarked._

“Remind me to break his jaw,” _Sirius growled, he still hated hearing the dark wizard say such things to Emma, the tone and words still made his stomach turn._

_Truthfully the smart remarks were helping Harry stay somewhat grounded. However, that wasn't going to last very long, and he had a feeling he knew that. They watched as Emma slowly backed Lily in the direction of the open hall that led to the stairs, keeping herself between the Dark Lord and her family._

_Harry watched his mother catch on too what Emma was thinking, waited till they were close enough and grabbed Emma's arm, both women dashing into the hall and up the steps, Emma behind them._

_Harry had panicked and rushed the scene, wanting Voldemort to release his aunt and mum, but he'd gone right through them as Emma had been ripped from Lily's grasp and in a panic, Lily had turned back for her sister with fear, **"Emma!"**_

_Emma had a grip on Voldemort's wand hand with as much of a grip as she could, directing the curses away from Lily and Harry as she screamed out to her sister **, "GO!"** and the scene morphed right before his eyes._

_Harry, finally realized he couldn't do anything, had fallen to his knees, tears running down his face. He knew how this ended, but the scenes continued to change. He was forced to watch as Lily had been so close to the nightstand, she could taste life and victory, only for it to be viciously ripped away as the room was assaulted by curses, destroying the room, bed and nightstand, her wand likely lost in the debris. Neither sister saw the next scene coming. Neither had Harry, Sirius had not wanted to witness the ending outcome a second time. It had always killed him inside remembering back that he'd never been there to protect them._

_Harry, infant and teenager, had wept and screamed._

_Sirius wrapped his arms around the fallen boy, tears running down his face with him as the scenes continued to unfold._

_Voldemort shouted in a rage, grabbed Emma by the hair and disappeared up in smoke, again changing the scene to the Dark Lord flying through the house, herding Lily and the infant Harry back into the Nursery where he had finally had enough. Harry shouted, for someone to move, to change fate, to change history. To do something, but nothing happened, no matter what he'd screamed._

It was just a memory after all.

_Harry's breath had choked him when he watched Voldemort shove his wand through Emma's abdomen and roared, **"AVADA KEDAVRA!"**_

_Harry had closed his eyes, he knew how it ended,_ "NO! _" he didn't want to watch, but he knew that if he didn’t, he'd ask questions, and that was the last thing he wanted to do._

_Sirius couldn't watch any longer, Harry's shouts and please were heart shattering enough, screams that he knew would hunt him till the day he died, and after._

_Harry forced his eyes to open, forced himself to notice that Emma never saw the curse rebound back to them. But he had one last scream in him as he watched his mother scream then suddenly drop, lifeless. Her green eyes void of any sign of life, his eyes turning to Emma as she fell back when Voldemort had vanished in a cloud of smoke and with a painful scream Harry let everything out, "_ MUM!"

_It wasn't directed at any particular woman, but both, they were both his mother’s, Lily had birthed him, loved him and sacrificed her life for him. Emma had tried to save her sister and Harry yet had lost her sister and her own life, she had fought for him many times, first against Voldemort, next against the Ministry, then against the dark lord himself a second time. She had won his custody, adopted him and raised him like he was her own. Both sisters were initially his mothers, just like both James and Sirius were both his father's, both had given their lives for him, had saved him and told him they loved him, like Emma and Lily. Both had raised him for a time._

_Harry knew who was who, Biological and not, but both sets were still his mother and father. Yet witnessing this firsthand was terrifying and nearly shattered him._

_He'd noticed Voldemort's wand was still embedded in her abdomen, the end only barely poking out from her back as she hit the floor. The Dark Lord was no longer there as he fled in a swirl of smoke. Emma hadn't heard anything, no crying Harry, no frantic Lily. Nothing. She watched the room spin, then darkness._

* * *

Harry had witnessed the very same thing as it all went dark as they were sent out of the Pensieve and onto the floor where they landed. Sirius landing with his arms still around him as he cried, "Why us… why them? why her?"

"I don't know Harry. He's a mad man with a power-hungry nature, he chose the first child that could pose the greatest threat. The prophecy that was given years ago when you were just an infant said a child born at the end of July would be his undoing, and you and one other child posed the greatest threat, you just happened to be a half blood, like him. An equal in blood status. No one understands him, I doubt even he does." Sirius said softly, really, he was only repeating what Dumbledore and Emma had told him.

The Prophecy had said just that. But the truth was, he had no idea why Voldemort did what he had. He'd have been a great wizard had he stayed on the path of good and away from the darkness. He's always thought he may have had a dark place in the back of his mind, what a muggle may call a psychopath or a rampaging serial killer with a dark past was what Sirius had always thought about Voldemort, because that was technically what, and who, he was in their lifetime.

Harry had cried for an hour after witnessing Emma's Godric's Hollow memory. Truthfully, Sirius didn't blame him. He'd done that very same after he'd first witnessed it. Though, he had lied to Harry when he told him he hadn't gone in alone, because he had witnessed the scene alone, yet he'd came out a balling mess.

"Dad?" Harry had suddenly spoke, he'd rarely called Sirius that, but his godfather still answered either way, hoping James would forgive him for taking the roll as father figure for the boy, deceased or not, "Yes?"

"I want Mum." Harry cried. He'd kept in so much that year, his memory, unbeknownst to Harry, had been cleared of Emma, but at that moment, Sirius didn't care. Harry was practically his son and Emma was technically his mother. So, he'd give Harry his mother. Security be damned. Harry was crying in his arms, thinking all this time Emma had died just like Lily had, saving him, and Harry felt responsible. Something Sirius was not alright with. Sirius would suffer the consequences later, and he knew Emma would feel the same, "As you wish,"


	40. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 40 **

* * *

Sirius sighed as he walked out of the room, an arm around Harry whose eyes were red and puffy from crying a letter held tightly in hand, a letter from Sirius addressed to Harry.

Just about everyone was asleep besides 'Amara', Arthur, Tonks and Remus and Amos Diggory. All watched the two walk back into the kitchen and their conversation quickly silenced.

"Sirius? Is everything alright?" Amara asked standing from her chair, she wasn't expecting Harry to charge her and wrap his arms around her and begin crying all over again.

"I had too, I'm sorry… You weren't in there Fox." Sirius spoke softly, saddened he'd even allowed it to happen in the first place.

Emma was stunned, shocked and frightened as her hold around Harry tightened. "You told him?"

"No, when he made the decision, I wrote a letter, like he did for himself, the one he gave to Dumbledore for safe keeping. But yes, he knows… We never should have allowed him to make that decision, I should have stopped it before he even went through with it. Train him, start in the morning, attend Hogwarts undercover as Snape's Potions assistant. Help Harry guard his mind. Make the uncontrollable the controlled. You do that, and you win this round against him."

Emma didn't know what to say, she could only stare at her husband, he'd done what she'd been hurting to do for months and all it took was for Harry to witness one Memory? Or did Sirius show him more than one? "What did you show him?"

"The lake… And…Godric's Hollow." Sirius admitted with a sigh, he didn't want to say it, he didn't want to admit it, because he knew the look she was giving him now was the exact look she would have given him, a look of shock, horror and fear. "Y-you showed him-"

"I asked too see it," Harry clarified, he hadn't unburied his face from her shoulder yet, he was taking his time to let all the information from Sirius's letter sink in. That it had been his idea to have Dumbledore erase his memory of her being alive, that he wanted to be in the kind of pain he had endured since before September.

"Harry, I didn't want you to witness that memory-" 

"What did Wormtail do to make you as silent as you were? Why didn't you just cast a spell at him?"

Emma sighed and rested her chin atop his head and rubbed his back to comfort him, "Come on," she said leading him and Sirius back to the Pensieve, pulled the memory from her and dosed it into the magical liquid swirling, "Go ahead," and in they went.

* * *

**_Memory-_ **

_Emma had taken notice of how strange Peter had been acting since he'd taken up as the Keeper, he was jumpy by nature, but that was just him. She knew something was different and she couldn't quite figure out as to what was strange about him. Almost like he wasn't himself, even more so of the morning of October 31._

"The finished memory?" _Harry asking in question as he and Sirius looked around, they both finally saw the calculating thoughts running through Emma as she watched Wormtail, a look set in her eyes, a hard look saying she was thinking rather hard,_ "She likely figured him out, " _Sirius said as he and Harry looked between the two._

**_"You alright there, Wormtail? Would you like some Coffee?"_ ** _she asked him, he sat in an armchair, his eyes wandered everywhere, like he'd see a ghost pop out from around the corner, or worse the Boogie-Man, **"Uh-uh, y-yeah, yes please… Thank you."** He accepted the warm cup of morning caffeine as Lily and James walked down still in their Pajamas yawning._

_Lily sighed, **“James, care to give it a try?"** She asked her husband with a bit of a tired laugh after fifteen more minutes of Harry's fussing._

_James had smiled, set his coffee and Daily Prophet down and moved to sit next to Harry, took the spoon and did the cute and funny, **"Here's the airplane,**_ **Zoom _,"_** _Harry had laughed, smiled and clapped his hands and ate his breakfast just like that, finishing in a little over five minutes later._

"You know? With the memory completed, it doesn't look so threatening. Wormtail doesn't even look threatening, yet." _Harry said with a smile as he watched his infant self and parents. They looked happy._

_They watched Emma smile and giggle to herself as she leaned against the counters, warm mug in hand and dressed in her casual black leggings, and her clothes hadn't changed one bit either. She was still in Gabby's favorite oversized red knitted sweater and a gold, red and orange scarf with boot socks fit for October weather. Her long dark red hair wave down her back. Though her eyes continued to travel over to Peter who still looked as though he was panicking on the inside as he watched the family cooing over their one-year-old son._

_The two seeing the finished memory had seen it, she was watching every move, watching Peter._ "She knows, she knew something wasn't right and was trying to figure it out." _Sirius said to himself as he looked her memory self in the eyes, they were harder than before, and she looked tense. Sirius was very glad she had taken to some of his lessons he'd given her. Lesson's he took in his Auror classes and studied under with his mentor. She was good._

_Emma smiled and nodded her head a bit at Peter when his eyes moved over to her, but her smile hadn't reached her eyes and that was when Emma saw it. Fear, jealousy, and a look of pure evil and delight of deviousness._

_Peter knew then, that Emma had figured him out, a wicked grin spread across his face as Emma's heart stopped. His hand had slowly pulled his wand from its place and 'playfully' flicked it towards the family. His wand directed straight at Harry, freezing her instantly in her stop, a look of utter horror on her face and the couple was too distracted by their adorable son to notice anything was amiss._

* * *

They were pulled back out and panted for some fresh air as they looked at her. "You figured him out and he threatened Harry, Lily and James. He used them against you-"

"My wand was also missing, and I had no idea where James had his nor Lily's until later that night. By then it was too late. Voldemort disintegrated James’s wand and the table and the Death Eaters destroyed their bedroom and Lily's wand was likely destroyed or lost in the debris. I had nothing to use to take him on. He'd have either killed me or stunned me unconscious and I'd have likely not made it to warn them. So, I stayed close and when he was no longer there, I took a chance and we tried to make a run for it. But without my wand I had no magical way of guarding the house." She explained. Her eyes gazing out with flashed memories of the night, the fear and the terror was still fresh to her.

* * *

Christmas and New Year's vacation was spent with Emma training Harry to guard his mind. They started with small doses and he was making good progress. Harry could guard his mind well, but she was still able to get to some pieces, vital pieces, yet thankfully not all of it. They had two more days until they went back to school. Dumbledore had refused her aid at the school, so she would be useless there.

"I'm not good enough, again," Harry panted tiredly.

Worried Emma sighed, "You're pushing yourself, don't. Don't force it, you need to relax your body and mind, guard it. When you feel a force in your mind push you, push back. Think of the happiest moment you have and use that as your guard. Better yet, think of your mum and dad." Truth be told Emma thought that would work a lot more than it had, but it still helped a lot more than he had been doing previously. "Good, however, I believe you need a break. Come on, some food and drink and a nap. You're exhausted."

**2nd week of January**

School had resumed, and Ron had once again been kidnapped by his girlfriend who had nicknamed the poor boy, _"Won-Won"._

This had caused Hermione, Lavender, Ginny and Alicia to nearly vomit when they'd hear the name and the girls voice. She was pretty, yes, smart, yes. However, she was ** _"damn near annoying to make someone's ears kill over!"_** was Lavender's very words.

"Just try to be nice if she talks to you, she is a smart girl and she has a good heart, she's just annoying is all." Hermione said softly with a huff as Harry ran up behind them and wrapped his arms around Alicia and kissed her cheek as he walked with them.

"Where's Draco?" Ginny asked looking around with wonder, "He'll be along shortly." Harry said with a grin as the blond and Morgan came out from around a corner laughing. Draco quickly picked up Ginny and spun the laughing girl.

"Where's Cho?" Alicia asked curiously, she had seen how close the two had gotten and became worried when she saw Morgan's fallen face. "I told her she needed to take some more time to cope over Ced. She's constantly asking if I'm him in disguise and helping Dumbledore and the order. I feel bad she's under the impression I'm Cedric. Cedric Diggory is dead, unfortunately. She's understandably upset with me. Probably thinks I'm lying to her. I think she took Cedric's death harder than we all believed her to have…"

"I'm sorry Morgan." Alicia said sadly, she felt terrible for them both, one was Cedric's best friend the other was his previous girlfriend. Alicia knew Morgan was not Cedric simply because when she had returned home and mentioned her own same assumption to her uncle, Amos had sadly shown her a photo album of Cedric growing up, many of them holding pictures of the two boys. "My uncle has pictures of you and Ced growing up together, would you like me to write to him and ask to send the album to show her? Maybe that will help her mourn him." Alicia offered.

"That's the problem, I have the same pictures. I showed her, and she still doesn't want to believe it." Morgan clarified, this confused Alicia because Cho was a smart girl, a hurt and mournful girl, but smart none the less and that didn't sound like Cho at all.

"I think I'll still speak with her just in case."

But Cho would still hear nothing of it, the poor girl was in pure denial and slipping into a depression, "He isn't dead, I know it. He's still alive, I can feel it, Alicia I can feel it." Cho cried, Luna had sat with the two girls that night, gently rubbing Cho's back as she cried into Alicia's arms. Honestly, Alicia had no room to speak, because half the time she too could swear she'd seen Cedric, then try looking again and he'd be gone!

Her conclusion that she had either gone mad or she was seeing ghosts, but the Hogwarts Ghosts, any ghost, she had ever seen had lost their color and was transparently blue or silver colored. Yet, when she'd think she was seeing her cousin by a glance he still had his color, but it looked as if he was in different clothes and then be gone. But they had buried him, open coffin, he was cold and stiff, his eyes closed. The body they had buried was in fact Cedric Diggory. So, why was Alicia still seeing him and why was Cho swearing to Heaven and Hell that she knew he was still alive, and she could feel it in her bones? She, nor Luna, had an answer.

Weeks had passed, and Hermione was still not on much speaking terms with Ron. But to their horror, Ron had gotten drugged by a very strong Love Potion, which Penelope Clearwater had been reprimanded for and given detentions for two months, as well as flunked in her potions class by Slughorn.

However, their problems had not remained there, Ron had been poisoned just moments later when Slughorn had offered them some Liquorish wine he had other plans for. In Slughorn's mass confusion he had panicked, and Harry had rushed through Slughorn's Potion herbs and shoved Bezoar down Ron’s throat.

Harry and Slughorn had rushed Ron to Poppy in a hurry, who quickly assessed him and cleared him in safe lines, yet she wanted him to stay overnight to keep an eye on his health. This had resulted in his girlfriend storming through screeching about if he'd been asking for her, only she had gotten rather testy when she saw Hermione sitting next to Ron.

Lavender had grounded her teeth rather harshly holding back her verbal spill, knowing Hermione could very much handle herself as the girl had verbally attacked her friend. But, to their pleasure Hermione had shot right back to her "-and for the record I have always found him interesting!" Feeling as if she had said a bit too much out in the open, Hermione had glanced to Harry and Draco, Harry was the only one who was not grinning, aside from Draco who was grinning like a crazy happy puppy as Lavender stood behind her and placed a comforting hand to her friends’ arm.

The poor girl had stormed from the hospital wing in tears when Ron began talking in his sleep, calling out for Hermione. They felt terrible for the poor girl that had run off, she really was a sweet girl, but they had the impression that Ron had been her biggest crush, which was why she found Hermione a threat and was very clingy to Ron, fearful she, or someone else, may take him from her. But her clinging nature to the relationship may have just been what caused the rift.

* * *

While back with the Order, they were running through options and actions to take, they couldn't keep up with Voldemort, and Bellatrix was proving to be more Psychotic, and no one was wouldn't let Narcissa out of their sights.

The Order had three failed attempts to 'kidnap' Narcissa, Emma or someone else nearly getting killed in the process, each time Narcissa begging them to leave her behind. And to Emma's horror, dislike, and better judgement, they had done as requested.

**May 3rd, 1997**

Months had dragged on, Athella and Horus were not on speaking terms with Snape and the same went to him. He was barely speaking to his children, never asked or sent word to Molly or Emma regarding their safety or health, he had severed nearly every contact with them, even little Marlene. Who had begun to get confused regarding ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’. Athella and Horus had sat the almost 2-year-old baby girl down and showed her the family photo album, pointing to their mum and dad, the pictures were the only time you'd have seen proof that Severus Snape could smile and love.

The twins knew their father was up to something, and Horus wanted to find out, but their father had taken him off to the side and told him he was doing everything to keep them safe and alive, to put his faith in the Weasley's and Harry and Emma, **_"Keep your sister's safe, Horus. You're all they have left."_**

* * *

**June 6th, 1997**

Emma had gotten tired of Dumbledore’s and Severus’s strange behavior, all coming to the point as she stormed Dumbledore's office. She was terrified as to what he was planning, everything he had done so far pointed to Suicide, something no one should go through, no one should feel that pain, nor the fear that came with it. Seeing him walking down his study steps she sighed softly to help her ease her worry. "Albus, what are you up to?" Emma asked him sadly. “Are you alright?” she asked suddenly realizing it wasn‘t just exhaustion, but pain that the Elderly Wizard was experiencing.

He'd been more withdrawn lately, not wanting to confide in anyone any longer, even asked Alastor, Emma, Sirius and Remus to take over the Order in his place and had retreated back into Hogwarts after handing over all the information he could turn over to them. Every memory he had regarding Tom Riddle. "I am helping your sons and daughter, Emma. I'm helping you and Sirius. The Order. The Magical community." He answered her first question and avoided her second question regarding the pain he was clearly in. Today had been one of the worst days of this curse, and the days were only getting harder for him.

"But what about you and Severus, Albus? Don't do this. Think of Gabby's kids. The twins and Marlene -"

"Emma, Albus and I are fated for death. We knew this, that was unavoidable." Severus spoke up from behind her, something he was getting rather good at, something she really hated. But the sad face he wore as she stared at him was what not only scared her, it ticked her off. "You knew? You knew from the very beginning that you'd be leaving Gabby with the children? All alone?"

"… Yes…"

"And now with your wife dead, your children will grow up never truly knowing you. Never truly knowing Gabrielle?"

"…Yes…"

Each word was like a heated fire poker was being driven right through each one of their hearts. "You can't- why would you-" 

"Emma, Severus and I have unfinished business to discuss, business you have no need to be involved in, I shall speak with you tomorrow my dear." Dumbledore spoke softly to the tearing eyed redhead, gently grabbed her hands in his, and with a deep sigh, kissed her forehead. "You and Gabrielle were the best children I wish I had had in my life. She gave me grandchildren, great-grandchildren actually, but she was more like a daughter. You have so much more to do in this life than I, Emma. Continue my work, even when I'm gone. Now go, give my love to the children, and yours... Oh, and Emma?"

"Hm?" She couldn't speak, she was too afraid of crying, her eyes were too filled, this sounded a lot like goodbye to her, and she didn't like it.

"Tell the Order Members I said thank you, for everything." Albus asked her, his smile was aged and weak, sad even.

Emma knew that something truly was not right about this. It reminded her of Gabrielle saying goodbye to Severus that last night. The night Gabby had been killed.

Emma gave a sad nod as the elder man hugged her.

"Go on home Emma."

She had sadly walked towards the door to leave.

Albus took a breathe, and smiled softly, "One more thing, my dear..." Albus said, he hadn't realized it until he'd closed his eyes to collect himself for the coming task, it was like a sudden flicker of light had lit in his mind with a small echo's of a tiny heart beat that and made him smile with some happiness. "Congratulations." This had confused her fully, but she nodded her head either way.

Emma moved her foot just once to leave and a thought struck her hard. If this was goodbye then she was going to say something to ease not only her mind, she hoped it would ease himself also, "Albus?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

She had waited for word from Albus, but at not having anything in return spoken, Emma left and began to pace the halls in deep thought before returning after a while. Entering his office, she found no one there. But that had to be impossible since he had just been there moments before. Waiting in his office for some time and the unsettling feeling that something did not feel right continued to roll in her belly.

Upon hearing something up in the tower, Emma had moved to rush up, but had been caught by Severus who held a finger to his lips, a sign to be silent. But he'd caught her off guard when he hugged her tightly and whispered, "I'm sorry," in her ear and headed up to the commotion. She was once again shocked when Harry had been grabbed by Snape and tossed over to Emma and was given the same signal to stay silent. She was confused as to why or how Harry had gotten there and had every intention of asking the boy later about this. She hadn’t even seen him enter Albus’s office. Or had she really wandered off that far from the Headmaster’s tower and not noticed her own Nephew and son walking past her?

Their hearts had fallen to their stomachs as they watched Snape stopping Finn from killing Dumbledore but had raised his own wand towards the Headmaster himself. The Death Eaters that had rushed the Tower had walked right past them as Emma and Harry hid in the shadows from them, Emma’s hand covering Harry’s mouth, knowing the boy would likely wish to warn Albus of their presents, but then that would expose Harry and Emma. And she knew they would take them both to Voldemort personally if they found them, especially Harry.

"Oh please, Severus, let the boy do his dues for the Dark Lord. He wants to, don’t you dear?" Bellatrix grinned, wrapping a protective arm around the boy as she glared at the Dark Arts Professor .

"Yes, I know he wishes to do so, but he's still too young to have such a burden on his shoulders. Not to mention he hesitated not ten seconds before you arrived to talk him up to the task." Severus said coldly.

Dumbledore was in pain, Emma and Severus could see it, Harry knew it simply because he'd been with him, the locket was tightly wrapped in his clenching hand as he watched helplessly.

"Severus, please?" Albus said sadly. He was pleading the man for relief from the pain. To end his suffering. He hurt terribly.

Emma saw the pain in Severus, something Harry was blind too because his eyes were flying between Snape and Dumbledore.

Emma had to bite her tongue and hold Harry back with a hand over his mouth to keep the poor boy from screaming out as a flash of green flew across the tower. The curse sent Albus Dumbledore back and over the railing all the way down. She pulled her nephew back away from the site as the Death Eaters laughed and stormed around destroying everything in sight, Bellatrix sending up the Dark Mark into the skies above Hogwarts as they raided the school.

Harry rushed after Snape and Emma rushed after Harry, as he shouted after his previous teacher, “SNAPE! HE TRUSTED YOU!”

Emma’s disguise was an automatic activation if she left any of the safe houses. No one besides Dumbledore, Severus, Harry and the Order knew of her disguise Something she was both irritated with but blessed to have had just in case.

Harry had closed in on them fast, Bellatrix wanting to kill him, Snape stopping the crazy Witch, and Harry had begun a duel between the two. Emma had rushed them and deflected the curse that was meant to knock Harry back and incapacitate him. She wasn't expecting Bellatrix to still be somewhere around the area, and that was her mistake when she'd felt a searing pain in her side that ripped the air from her lungs, causing her to titter on her quickly weakening legs.

"NO!" Harry screamed, catching the brunette in his arms as her legs gave out. A painful huff left her as she held her side, not realizing she was bleeding out until she’d looked down, finding her hands tightly closed to her side and covered with still spilling blood as Harry tried his best to keep the pressure, "Mum? No, no, no… You're not doing this again, mum!"

"Severus! Come on!" Bellatrix screamed. He'd taken a few steps to them in worry, tears clouding his eyes, Emma was once again down for the count and bleeding profusely. "Potter," His words had grasped the crying boys' attention, eyes that were filled with hate and betrayal. Severus had once again caught the boy off guard when he gave him a counter curse to heal the dying woman in his arms, then he was gone in a clouded swirl of smoke.

"HARRY! FOX!" Harry's heart raced once more as his mind sped back up, “Sirius! Over here, she's bleeding, I ca-can't stop it! She's dying! I'm sorry," Harry cried as Sirius slid to his knees next to them, pulling Emma into his arms.

"No, no, no, no. Fox, ke-keep your eyes open. Yeah, hey. There you are, come on, keep your eyes open. Hey beautiful," It was like he was speaking to an infant, yet the deep green eyes he was staring into looked tired and fleeting.

Yet she managed to smile a bit, "Si'us…. I see you… Why 'm I cold?"

"Emma!" Remus shouted, Tonks following behind him with fear and worry.

"Emma!" Tonks screamed, both her and Remus falling to their knees as Tonks pulling a crying Harry into her arms, hiding his eyes from the sight. He'd watched enough death.

"Gab's?" Tonks' heart broke, she was fading fast.

"Emma, keep your heart beating! Emma!" Remus’s words trembled from his lips as he took Tonks’ jacket and tied it around Emma’s wound, his own sweater used to apply pressure as a type of gauze to her gushing side. “Emma…. Emma open your eyes!”

"FOX!" Sirius's crying scream was the last she heard before everything faded into darkness, but the voice she'd heard ringing through her ears was James Potter. A memory from the first fateful night, when everything started.

_“FOX!”_

But voices continued to flee into her ears, she still felt cold and could barely move, all she heard were beeps on monitors and half voices, "Why isn't she waking up?"

"Dumbledore's dead,"

"Draco are you alright?"

"Coma?"

"Is she dying?"

"Harry,"

"Sirius, calm down!"

"It's been three weeks," 

"I think it's time to pull the plug-" 

"GO TO HELL!" 

"You're not touching my mother!"

_"Emma, you have to wake up,"_

**_"Gabby?"_ **

_"Come on Fox, wake up!"_

_"Emma Rose Evans - Black WAKE UP!"_

_"Emma," Her heart jumped half up her throat when she heard Albus’s voice softly speaking to her. "Emma, you have to wake up."_

_"How!"_

_"Don't think, choose it." Albus said with, his words were far off and sad, but she knew, somehow, that he was smiling._

_"What?"_

A choking gasp filled the hospital room with the Heart monitor going crazy with an elevated heartbeat and the monitors beeping in red alert as Doctors and nurses swarmed in, pushing people out of the room as they took the breathing tube out of her sore throat and turning her on her side, the motion had her vomiting over the side of the bed into a wastebasket, all the while she tried to choke out, "Albus -"

The Doctors checked her over, all the while giving one another worried looks and left, letting just a few people into the room after explaining what she had rambled about while they were in her room.

She repeated herself when Sirius walked in, sad yet happy, his saddened smile faded fast when she started back up again, “Albus, Severus-"

But Sirius raised a hand in front of him, eyes closed sadly with a sigh. "Emma, Albus Dumbledore was murdered about a month ago, by Severus Snape." He saw her tears and her confusion, she barely remembered that night, just a flash of green, Severus fleeing, Hagrid's home a flame then a searing pain at her side, blood and someone screaming for her to wake up.

"What?" Emma choked out. Her tears streaming down her face at the news.


	41. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 41 **

* * *

**July 29th, 1997**

Emma had been awake for an entire night and half the next morning, not wanting to close her eyes, Sirius had helped her out of the bed to dress in comfortable clothes that Molly had made her, it was a simple July sundress of ruby red color that flowed down to just an inch above her knees, and thick straps on her shoulders, the dress wasn't tight nor to lose, just right, but there were a few things Sirius hadn't told her yet.

The first, pertaining to her condition and how she had been lucky to survive, however she was to remain careful in her furthering condition, and the second had to do with an old friend Sirius had been informed they had lost track off around in '90-'91, possibly sometime before that. He and his family had gone into hiding years ago, but to everyone's horror, said friend had been found dead and the Autopsy reported back to them had clarified he'd been tortured then killed with tools and hands, magic had been tossed to the wind. He had obviously had information the Death Eaters were desperate for. Information Sirius, and the others, hoped above all that he had taken with him in death.

On July 8th, 1997, Klay Malcom's body had been found half decayed in a river in Ireland near the magical community of Cork. The worst part of it, his seven-year-old daughter, Sara, had found the body, his eldest son, Rubeus Malcolm, would be attending Hogwarts that very same year under the watchful eyes of his 'uncle' and godfather, Rubeus Hagrid, who he'd been named after.

Dumbledore's fateful night had been a constant roll in Emma's mind that had caused nightmares to occur, one after the other, "Severus killed him. Right in front of Harry and me. I can't even imagine how terrified that poor boy was - Sirius where is he, can I see him? Please -"

"Emma!" Harry had rushed down the halls of St. Mungo's like he was blur the moment he had seen Emma and Sirius walk from her room, only to slow quickly, nearly in a stop, to gently hug her, trying to be careful of her side and mid-section, "I'm so glad you're alright, we thought you were dead."

"She was dead, for about ten seconds," Remus said walking up, his fingers laced through with Dora's, who was smiling happily, yet her eyes held a small, saddened look. Emma had missed their secret Wedding, but she was awake now and that meant they could give her the good news.

Dora wrapped her arms around both Emma and Harry, taking in a deep and shaking breath as her eyes filled with happy tears, "Thank you for waking up Auntie." Dora's words trembled as she hugged her and held onto the red head, a few tears falling.

Sirius smiled sadly at this and wiped the falling tears from his little cousin's cheek as he rubbed Emma's back comfortingly.

Emma simply smiled and kissed Harry's forehead then Tonks's cheek as she held them both tightly in her arms with a happy sigh, "It's good to be awake."

"What have I missed since I've been out for the count?" She asked once they released one another, her arm remained wrapped around Harry's shoulders and one of his clinging around Emma's waist, afraid if he let her go, she'd vanish.

"Tonks and Remus were married," Sirius said softly with a grin.

"Sirius! Remus and I were wanting to tell her," Tonks gently scolded him with a small smile and laughed at Emma's raised brow. "We got married in the beginning of July in secret, the Ministry wouldn't have let Remus and I marry anyways, so there was no point in trying to fight with them, not with this war coming at us. We decided to have a secret wedding. My dad gave me away, Sirius was best man and Harry handed us the rings. Molly and the others had a small celebration for us afterwards. Now, we're getting ready for Fleur and Bill's wedding on the 1st of August."

"I still think you should leave the Auror business for a short time, Dora. The Death Eaters are closing in on the Ministry as we speak." Remus clarified to his new wife as he wrapped his arms around her with a kiss to the top of her head. He was terrified she'd get hurt even inside the Ministry or Auror department.

"Even Alastor is telling you it isn't safe there any longer, Tonks maybe you should leave." Sirius piped up trying to aid his friend.

"No, for the last time. The longer I can stay inside the more I can get us information to help us fight this war. I'm not leaving, not yet." Dora argued.

Emma looked at Sirius with a grin. "Have you left the Auror department yet, Mr. Black?"

Grinning at Emma’s teasing poke, Sirius kissed her, "Yes, Mrs. Black," Sirius started with a grin placing a kiss to his wife's lips once again, enjoying the feel of having her back in his arms. She really needed to stop doing this to them. They had enough heart attacks lately. "Honestly, I had too. I wasn't given much choice really. They were following a lot of us home, I nearly led them to one of our safe houses, so I redirected my course and landed somewhere completely random. Threw them off, came home, then Disapparated three different times to different places then three streets away from the meeting and they lost me not even halfway through that." Sirius said with a proud grin, "They were angry of course, I got called in and questioned by Yaxley, man's a lunatic if you ask me. Kept asking me strange and irrelevant questions that had nothing to do with any of the cases I had previously worked. Tossed my file at me across the desk the Ministry had gathered in on and used over the twelve years I was locked up, likely to see if he could black mail me into being under his foot, then when that failed he tried using just about anything from it against me to get me fired from up the chain. Thicknesse was irritated of course, but he's intimidated by that man. But Yaxley continued poking in about things like the Order and Albus and you. Asked about Remus, Peter and Dora, anything he could think of relating to the war on our side really. Offered me tea or Coffee. He had the calculating look down though, he was definitely looking for something."

"Sirius, Pius Thicknesse stepped down a few weeks ago, Corban Yaxley is now the Head of Magical Law Enforcement." Tonks said a bit confused to her cousin, everyone had glanced to her in shock.

"You're not going back there, Dora," the three adults said in unison to the confused Auror, "Why not? Nothing's happ-"

"Dora, Corban Yaxley is a Death Eater!" Emma hadn't meant to shout it, thankfully no one, that they knew of, was in ear shot nor near them, but the reaction she received was a shock, even to her.

Tonks gasped with shock as they quickly looked around with a long and hissing "Shhh!" and her husband worried her most of all when Remus gave a shocked and scared, "Emma!"

Sirius covered his wife's mouth as they looked around furiously and the group yanked her into a nearby empty room, locking the door closed behind them, "Emma you cannot say things like that out in the open!" Remus scolded with worry, he looked as if he was being searched for by the Dementors!

"I'm so confused, what's going on? I was out for one month, what the heck has you all so terrified?" She asked with utter confusion.

"You haven't told her!" Dora glared to Sirius, her answer came when he sighed deeply as he rubbed his face and looked to the floor.

"I don't know how too Dora. You can't just say things like that to someone who just woke up a day ago!" he said holding back a growl.

"Tell me what? Sirius, what's going on?"

"First of all, you're two months pregnant, the attack Lestrange did to your side nearly caused you a miscarriage, Poppy got to you fast and was able to save the baby by fixing the damage done to your womb." Tonks informed the now paling woman.

Emma couldn’t help it as her jaw dropped with shock. There was no way she was **that** fertile. Right? "I-I'm sorry? I'm what?" She was shocked.

"You're pregnant Emma. You have to be very careful. Words like that can cost you a lot now, a month is nothing to what has happened already." Tonks said with worry, the rooms occupants watched Emma not only pale, but stumble on her feet as she looked for a chair with small, shallow breaths, "What's wrong? Auntie?"

Emma's tears spilled over as she sank into a nearby chair, they weren't expecting her response as she broke down. "A-Albus, h-he knew… He said Congratulations… I was s-so confused!"

Worried she'd make herself faint from her heavy crying, Sirius rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Calm down Love. It's alright. You're both alright."

"There's more -"

"Remus, no." Sirius spoke up sternly, his grey eyes glaring to his friend who simply sighed with a tired glare.

"She deserves to know Padfoot! He was her best friend! One of Gabby's best friends! It's not right keeping it from her, she'll find out eventually either way. Holly's at the Cabin right now with the kids and Molly! What the bloody hell do you think Emma's first question will be when she sees her for the first time in ages, huh? Where's Klay! That is going to be Fox’s first question! Then Holly has no choice but to relive that entire nightmare! What do you expect me to do Sirius? She deserves to know." Remus argued, and Sirius hated admitting he had a point. Emma not only had the right to know before they got to the Weasley's Cabin, but to help Holly not having to relive what her daughter wakes up every night now dreaming about. The seven-year-old girl's cries still rang chills through him even as he thought about it.

"Fine…. I'm so sorry Love." Sirius whispered against her forehead, placing a kiss to her brow and held her comfortingly to him with a sad sigh. "But Remus is right. You need to hear this."

Emma dreaded the news, she heard their argument, obviously, and she knew she wasn't going to like it at all. She hadn't heard high nor low from the Malcolm's in years, now she's suddenly hearing Holly and her kids were with the Weasley's. Sniffing back her tears, Emma reluctantly looked to her saddened and pale sick friend as he looked at her with sad eyes.

"Klay Malcolm was found in Cork, Ireland near his home. Murdered. Looks like they tortured him with their hands and tools, possibly trying to get information out of him they couldn't withdraw with magic." Remus informed her.

Emma suddenly felt sick, there was one spell she knew of that could be the cause of that outcome. "The Fidelius Charm? He was someone's keeper?"

"Likely his families or another person that was working deep undercover for Dumbledore, no one has come forward, meaning -"

"Meaning that the information was given, or they quickly rushed into hiding after realizing their keeper had been found. Either way, they likely wouldn't have found them because their possibly already in the wind with a new Keeper. Klay would have had a back-up for himself if he was captured and a back-up for the back-up with instructions to each one as to what to do next and differently than himself and the other. Each one would have a different routine." Emma had caught on quickly and interrupted, sliding her head down into her hands sadly as she sniffed back more tears. "Any idea who could have been the intended subject for the charm?" She asked. Hoping they at least had some good news on top of the bad news.

"No, but we found a Slytherin scarf and some school clothes, minus the robe, in the safe house address he had in his pocket. It's likely a student at Hogwarts. Without the Robe we can't put a name to the owner, it looked like there was one person living there, they packed in a rush. Left a few books and ink and other school supplies. But nothing has a name. And from the looks of the books, it’s a seventh-year student."

Sighing, Emma sat up right and ran her hands through her long hair as she thought.

"Great, and we are likely not going to be able to gain access to not only the school, but we won't even be able to gain access to Albus's records for his students." Sirius said with a sigh of slight irritation.

This, again, confused Emma greatly, "Why do you say that? Isn't Minerva taking over for Albus?" Emma asked curiously, one month and she was at a total loss for things, it felt like she'd been in a coma for three years once again.

"Snape's Headmaster now, took it right out from under her without even giving her a chair to land in." Dora snorted with obvious irritation.

"Whoa, wait, what! Severus-"

"Is Headmaster, slick git that he is. The Minister of magic didn't want to grant him the chair, but he was outvoted with the Governors, Lucius is also back on the council." Sirius informed her.

Emma looked around them in pure disbelieve, "I don't believe this… One month and I feel like I missed years."

"Last time you did miss years, Emma." Remus stated dryly, earning himself a glare and a small elbow in his side from his new wife, "Sorry,"

"So, how is Harry and the others going to even be remotely safe-"

"I'm not going back," Harry piped up, finally decided he should say something now before it was too late, he'd rather get the scolding over with now rather than have it back at the Cabin, the Weasley's new home.

"Excuse me?" Emma glanced at him with shock, but Sirius quickly came to the boy's defense, "Emma, Snape is in charge of Hogwarts. Muggle-borns are no longer permitted to attend, Pure-bloods are enforced and required to go back to school every year and every term, half-blood are accepted simply for half-blood status, anything other than that Snape has refused others, namely Muggle born children." Sirius spoke this carefully and as calmly as he could for her, he knew she'd catch on eventually. He was correct when her face lit up with concern, "But Hermione -"

"Her Hogwarts application was rejected." Harry stated for them, he too was angry when he'd heard the news. Harry wasn't returning because Dumbledore had asked him to help find and destroy the Horcrux, and he wasn't going to return to a school where Snape was in charge and could or would hand him right over to Voldemort. Emma had missed a lot in the last month, many things were still happening. More deaths had happened lately, several Muggels murdered or missing and muggle-borns' and one of their teachers at Hogwarts had vanished. Their Muggle studies Professor.

"Now, wait a minute, I'm actually just now catching this…. How do you know what Klay would have done if he was a Secret Keeper Emma?" Dora asked in confusion.

"Uh, h-he asked me some advice since you know, previous experience with loopholes or problems from Lily and James. He wanted every precaution to attempt to safeguard and try to make it impenetrable. But I explained that it really just came down to who you could really trust with your life and that of the person you're trying to safeguard." Emma explained. Licking her lips and taking another deep sigh she continued, "Anything else I need updated on?" Emma sighed with irritation. And from their silence she had a feeling there was plenty more coming.

"We need to move Harry. Severus knows where he's been staying; The Potter Estate and Grimmauld Place isn't safe any longer."

"We moved Petunia and her family, convinced them to leave Private drive." Sirius said rubbed Emma's arm.

Confused for a moment Emma glancing up to him, "Why'd you have them leave their home -” she sighed, stopping in her question. She suddenly felt rather dumb for asking that. “Because they housed Harry for eleven years," Emma sighed, she had caught that one rather fast, and sighed.

"Petunia asked me to give this to you Love. Handed it to me when they packed their final things and left. Dudley left Harry an interesting message also, but she said she'd like you to have that." Sirius said softly, handing her a bit of a thick hand-held envelope.

With shaking hands and a deep breath, Emma opened the envelope and pulled out a three-page written letter, and to her shock found a few old pictures wrapped up inside. All of Petunia and Lily smiling together closely holding one another, both sisters had been two and four years old. The next was Petunia and Lily smiling happily in the picture with their mum in the hospital bed, Emma's birth, she’d been wrapped in a baby blanket her sisters had used when they were babies, a white baby blanket with embroidered butterflies and three large flowers, being a Petunia, Lily and a Rose wrapped in a bouquet design, the next were the years they shared together before Lily got her Hogwarts Letter, Emma took five minutes to read the three page letter. The Letter had her in tears, all because of the finale words her elder sister had written to her _", I loved you both, even when you both left for school. I'm sorry I abandoned you and Lily. I still love you. Goodbye sweet Rose."_

Worried his aunt had said something that had hurt her, Harry looked over her shoulder a bit. "Mum," he'd been cut short when she folded the letter together from his view and handed him the pictures Petunia had sent with the letter, "She used to smile with such happiness… They both did."

"Come on, we should leave, back to the Estate, then we evacuate Harry to the safe house."

With everyone's agreement they Disapparated from the room and back to the Estate and to Emma's shock, really the entire groups shock, they found Hermione in the Living room with Draco and Ron being comforted as she cried heavily.

Terrified something terrible had happened, Harry rushed from Emma and Sirius towards his friends as everyone else followed in carefully behind him, "What happened!" Harry asked kneeling in front of her, hand gripping her knee as he looked up to her crying face she had buried half into Ron's shirt.

"She erased her parent's memories of her," Draco whispered to him, a sad expression across his face.

The adults had their own questions ready but had been interrupted by a sudden and vicious knock at the front door, which Dora and Emma had rushed to answer together, to their shock they found just about the entire Order of the Phoenix storming in, Alastor barking orders. No one had said anything about how they were going to evacuate Harry from the Estate. And it came in the form of the Polyjuice Potion.

Something Harry absolutely hated.

Hermione had sniffed back her tears and rushed up behind him, ripping out a few strands of hair from the back of his head rather harshly, "Blimey Hermione!"

"Sorry," she said handing them over to a grinning Alastor Moody, "She'd make a good Auror, don't ya think Tonks?" he joked playfully at her getting a small, blushed smile from Hermione, "No really, nice yank." Alastor continued poking at the puffy eyed girl, he was at least glad he could make someone smile in this difficult time. "Emma, I wasn't sure if you'd be awake, but Sirius made it clear you were to go in a different face -"

"I'll take Harry's Polyjuice, I'm not changing anymore faces, but for him. My son's safety comes first and speaking of children, where are our kids and Gabby's?" she asked to Sirius who grinned and looked around. "Where else would they be Love?" 

"Sirius Orion Black,"

_'Uh-oh,'_ many of the occupants in the room grinned and covered their mouths trying to hide their grin.

"With mum at the Cabin, not to worry, Holly and her kids are practically in love with them. Though, I think Horus has a crush on little Sara." George said with a grin, making a few other’s grin and giggle silently along with him.

Emma smiled with a thankful and relieved sigh, "They're safe, that's all that matters."

"Alright, well, you heard her Padfoot -" Alastor said with a shrug, not really knowing what to do as he watched Sirius shake his head no in panic. Emma had nearly died several times in the process, he wasn't going to risk her again, but even that night they were risking her safety and the baby's.

"No," 

"Yes," Emma said taking the first drink of the Polyjuice potion and nearly gagged, "God that's even more disgusting than I've ever tasted before! Alright, come on lets' get this over with, I'm assuming Hagrid's taking Harry?" She asked curiously as they all began changing, she nearly laughed when her and Fleur had to help one another with their bras since they weren't unhooking when the men had attempted to help them.

"And here I thought men were good at unhooking bras?" Emma chuckled out, all the women laughed while all the men either snickered or rolled their eyes.

"Yes, but I have pure talent Love, you know this already though." Sirius poked his own fun back with a playful grin.

"Oh, do I? We'll have to discuss that one later when I'm not disguised as our son." Emma cracked back.

"Told you I could find her in any crowd Remus?" Sirius cracked to his friend next to him.

Remus laughed and patted Sirius's back, "No, that was Prongs you made that bet with Padfoot."

"Do you three always do this, Mum?" Harry whispered to her with some laughter, both laughing a bit harder when she nodded.

"Alright! Alright! Pare up, time to leave. Hagrid, keep going no matter what happens." Alastor ordered sternly to the man as he loaded Harry in the sidecar of the motorbike.

George pared up with Remus, Ron with Tonks, Emma with Sirius and so on.

"Head for the Haven! Ready!" Alastor shouted and checked for everyone's go ahead, "Go!"

And they were off, wands ready for anything, but the second they cleared the thick clouds up above a battle had been set upon them. Each side casting counter curse and another and curse after another, "Alastor!" Bill shouted with shock as Mundungus Fletcher Disapparated the second a large dark cloud emerged, and laughter chilled the air.

"COWARD!" Bill shouted after the retreating Mundungus.

They were horrifyingly graced with a face to put with the laughter of pure evil that sent shivering chills through them. Emma's breath caught in her throat as she looked right at Voldemort as he laughed sending a curse to Mad-Eye, one that connected and sent the Auror off his broom, but he was dead before he hit the ground below them.

Tonks gasped and screamed with horror, "Alastor!" She sent a surprisingly strong curse to the Dark Lord with a rage of anger, one he was even shocked had nearly knocked him off his trail as he trailed through the multiple Harry's on brooms and Thestrals’ the Order Members were on.

"Find him!" Voldemort roared.

A flash from the corner of Emma's had her gasping with fright when she watched Lupin swiftly diving for a falling George, "NO!"

"Watch it Love!" Sirius shouted, wrapping his arm back around him, holding onto Emma before she fell took him with her as they flew on Harry's Firebolt. "Keep going! We can't let him get near Harry!"

An owl's screech soared past them, a small flash of Snow white flew around them all bobbing and weaving between enemy and ally alike, "Hedwig! Wait is that-" 

"Buck-Beak? That's impossible." Sirius watched, astonished as the Hippogriff soared up flanking behind the Snow owl following closely. Yet a sudden flash of green as thunder clapped, left both parents in utter horror as they watched the Hippogriff diving for a small white ball that feel quickly from the air.

"Hedwig!"

A bright flash woke her from her daze as it came closer to them, "Fox!" Sirius shouted with worry as she quickly noticing it as a killing curse. Frightened from her daze had caused Emma to scream and raised her wand deflecting the curse and sent once back herself, sending the attacker into pieces as they continued flying on, the Death Eaters retreating.

They had all finally landed as the potion had started to wear off on everyone and witnessed Hermione rushing from Harry and Draco and into Ron's arms with relieved tears in her eyes. They were shocked when Remus shoved Harry up against the wall of the fireplace, wand drawn and shouting about a creature that had sat in the corner of his office the first time Harry had visited him at Hogwarts.

"GRINDYLOW!" Harry shouted with fright, completely lost as to what had just happened.

"We've been betrayed! Someone knew we were moving him tonight! Where the bloody hell is Alastor!" Remus shouted looking around furiously for the Auror, but to his terrified worry and sadness, Bill Weasley stepped forward with a fallen face, "Mad-Eye's dead, Mundungus Disapparated right out when he took one look at Voldemort, fell off his broom."

Tonks sighed, with a nod yet a small nod of her head, "He was dead before he hit the ground Remus, bastard used the killing curse." She clarified, wiping a few falling tears from her face.

* * *

Emma took her moments in spending her time with her children and helping Molly and Holly with healing George's wound and catching up with the distraught woman, Holly Malcolm. She was at a loss as to what to do without Klay, but knew she still had a job to do, though she refused to tell Emma what it was Holly made it clear that the kids would be well looked after if anything happened to her.

"Hagrid's their godfather? Does he know?" Emma was shocked, but very happy for the Gamekeeper, he was a sweet man, always knew how to help you in any way that he could.

"Yes, he's also legally their uncle when Rubeus was born. Klay wanted a safe haven for them and us, so he built a home on Hogwarts ground only we and Hagrid knew of." But as the poor woman continued speaking, her tears began to spill over once again. She understandably hadn't stopped crying since Klay had been pronounced officially dead.

Emma only knew of one thing to do. Words would not comfort Holly. Pulling the woman into her arms Emma simply hugged Holly and let her cry for as long as she needed to. "I'm so sorry Holly."


	42. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 42 **

**** Okay, so I will admit that I do keep forgetting about Alicia for some unknown reason. However, I've also been trying to figure out how and where and when to bring her in, I don't want her to be just a simple supportive character because she's not meant to be simple, supporting yes, but not simple. But that is unfortunately where she is currently at. And I FEEL TERRIBLE! I am hopeful that it is not too late to bring her back around, I have thought up a reason for her not being around at all during these last couple of chapters or so. So, I hope you enjoy, and I hope this chapter goes as good as it sounded like in my head. THANK YOU!**

* * *

**Beginning summer - 1997**

Alicia sighed sadly as she sat on her bed at her uncle's home. She was currently staring at a 9 inch by 8 inch and 6-inch-deep safe, her family had in their now burnt to the ground home. To her happiness the safe was one that her father had magically protected from water, fire or anyone else that wasn’t in the family. If they weren't herself or Paul, they'd never have been able to have dropped the protection spell or get in without the inside contents being ruined or fully destroyed, she just wasn't sure if she wanted to open the safe.

With a sigh, Alicia did as she felt was needed, dropped the spell and opened the box with a heavy breath of sadness. She couldn’t help be feel as if she were invading her parents and brothers’ personal space, but they were dead. Meaning the safe, and the contents inside, were now Alicia’s. But her shock struck her hard when her eyes looked through the contains inside.

Everything was information regarding Death Eaters, names, their jobs during the time, secret supporters of Voldemort, pictures of said people, followers (old and new) all updated up until her brother's death, and before that, her parent’s. Her surprise was not yet over. As she dug deeper into the safe, she found two Bingo-Books, the first regarding old and new names to Voldemort's rain, the second, shocked her in full wonder and confusion as the second was an organized Bingo- Book of the Allied forces **against** Voldemort, again, updated from before her father up until her brother. She found Emma and Sirius Black named, along with Remus Lupin, Alastor Moody and Albus Dumbledore and Gabrielle – Mellena Dumbledore Snape- and even, to her astonishment, Severus Snape, who’d been placed in both Bingo Books along with more names, yet what she found even more shocking was in her brother’s handwriting, **“Trust Severus Snape”**. This had brought a sarcastic snort from her, “Yeah right. Sorry Paul, but he just murdered my Headmaster and the Order’s best, not to mention a grandfather and good friend, so no.” she said mumbling mostly to herself.

However, Alicia was nowhere near as stunned as she'd be once her dark blue eyes searched deeper, and to her ever-growing astonishment she found a small, beautiful silver band, with a small blue stud set in the center of the ring, fit to a woman's small finger. The inside etchings had been done via magic. Alicia could feel the powerful magic radiating off of the item. It felt familiar but very old, ancient magic that tingled her fingertips, yet the name inside had taken her breath away, **_"Helena Ravenclaw"._**

Taking a breath, she slid the small band over her ring finger with shaking hands and felt the old and very powerful magic zap right into her, chilling her to the bone as it eased inside and relaxing her body after a few moments. There was something about the ring and she found she didn't want to take it off, it felt right. Alicia felt calm, confident and safe as she wore it. Looking deeper her eyes caught site of an old scroll laying comfortably at the bottom of the safe, curious still, she unrolled said scroll and read off the names, bottom to the top and found Helena Ravenclaw below her mother, but the child that was named below Helena, leaving the father unnamed. This Scroll was not only a record, but historical proof that Helena Ravenclaw had a child with an unnamed man before she was killed.

The names towards the bottom were names that she recognized, because they were her father's family ancestors leading all the way into the Bonnet line, a line that was ending with Alicia Noelle Bonnet. With a gasp of shock, Alicia felt her body shiver. "Uncle Amos!"

Hearing his niece's shout for him, clearly hearing her panic. Fearful he'd loos her like he had Cedric, Amos dashed from his armchair, his book falling from his hands and lap as he rushed up the stairs for his Niece, "Alicia! Wha-what is it! What's wrong!" To his relief, then a bit irritated that she had terrified him he noticed the safety box sitting on her bed, blue ring on her finger and a very old scroll in hand, tears in her eyes. He was completely confused, how was it that an ancient scroll could make his niece cry? However, when she had handed it to him for him to examine, he too found himself in shock and at a loss for words. "This is impossible!"

"No, look at the pictures someone took of these paintings, each name, son and daughter to the wives in the line. Each woman is wearing Helena's ring. This is Helena Ravenclaw, her ring is on her right hand in this one before she fled Hogwarts as the legend goes, then in the last one she had done before her death, her ring is on her wedding finger. Then each woman down the line from the next person's painting is wearing her ring. This is the wife of Helena Ravenclaw's son. Look at the name under her, the child's name, Cormag, the name means **_son of the Raven_** , and his date of birth. The 'S' next to it, stands for son, the 'D's stand for daughter. Each female that has ever been graced with this ring, her name has been inked in blue, for the Heirloom."

He was stunned, this had to be a fluke, "Th-this can be just pure speculation, someone could have found the ring and just gifted it to their daughter, son or soon to be wife and it became a tradition." Amos tried justifying this, Helena Ravenclaw has never had any records found, never even her ghost admitted to having a child! So how was this even possible!

Alicia took a sigh, she too had been shocked and was taking her own time to grasp this, but this was all proof, names on the back of the photographed pictures matched the names of the people, wife and husband, on the Family tree. With another deep breath Alicia pulled two pictures from the stack and handed the first to her uncle. “The man in this painting had one done when he was about six years old before this painting was ever painted," She started then handed him another, and to his shock he found more secrets the Hogwarts Founders must have had, the child likely being one of them.

"He had the ring on a silver chain around his neck, and he is standing next to none other than Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff, who likely found said child and raised him because his mother was dead, and his grandmother was also dead. There was no date of death next to Rowena nor Helena, the father isn't even named!”

Amos sighed and set the pictures and family tree scroll on her bed for her to roll back up, his mind finally wrapping around his own as it was with his niece's. "Meaning they didn't want the father to be named or something happened, and she was ashamed of the situation but kept her child after she gave birth, again, that is just speculation and there is no proof." He said with a heavy sigh and rubbed his face from the information.

"Exactly, if you look farther down the line, each name has a picture in here, of every son who has ever had it, and to each daughter or daughter in law that has ever worn it. The last being my mother." Amos listened in shock as he looked at the pictures and moved further on to date up until Alicia. Amos looked at the picture of his baby sister on her wedding day, smiling wide and happy as he had ever seen her. Looking closely he noticed the ring Alicia was now wearing. The very same ring Helena Ravenclaw was wearing in her own paintings. His shock was taken farther when Alicia glided the ring off her own finger and handed it to him, "Look inside." And to his grown shock, he found Helena Ravenclaw's name etched inside the small band, "Magic was used to etch this, old and very powerful." He found the scrolls, and other artifacts in the Bonnet family homes safe rather intriguing.

“Uncle Amos… Look closer to the picture of the painting… Look at his eyes." Alicia instructed, and he had wondered why, both boy and young man, who stood about the age of twenty years old with a redhead next to him, both looking happy and smiling. But his eyes had such familiarity to him, and it was because he knew those eyes. “Alicia, yo-you have his eyes…” and it was more than that, she looked like a replica of the young woman, between the age of fifteen and eighteen who stood with her husband in the painting. The couple looked happy, their arms wrapped around one another. Yet Cormag looked pale, and his deep sapphire blue eyes still made it feel he was staring into your very soul. His pitch-black hair looked like it was pulled back into a leather band and dressed in rich fine clothes. As was the woman with him. But as Amos looked closer, he found a silver ring on the man’s hand in the shape of what it looked like an Eagle, “He had Ravenclaw’s house symbol as his wedding band? Alicia-” 

“Already have it,” She said interrupting and pulled a chain out from under her shirt, a large silver band on a bright silver chain, “The chain and rings are both enchanted somehow, they don’t break, nor age.”

Amos was taken for words, his sister had married one of the last descendants of Helena Ravenclaw, the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the very founders of Hogwarts, his niece was now the last descent of said house. “I-I… Alicia-”

They were spooked from their intriguing topic when the front door was blasted inward, "COME OUT COME OUT LITTLE BONNET! YOU'RE LATE FOR A FAMILY REUNION!" A man's voice screamed through the house filled with malicious laughter.

"Shut up Avery!" A woman shouted with annoyance. She hated this man with a burning passion.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Amos whispered to himself with fear, moving to her door he shut it as quietly as he could and locked the door, patting his pockets and sighed with deep dread. "My wand is downstairs… Alicia, grab your wand, good, pack that safe, there's obviously more in there, and they're after you meaning the second you had opened that, they knew. Pack everything you took from that back inside and toss it into a pack with a change of clothes. I need to get you out of here, now." He said taking her wand from her with an apology and charmed the door with a barricaded charm and turned off her lights, lighting her wand with _Lumos_ as she packed what she was told to swiftly and handed her wand back to her.

Fearful and confused as to what was going on, Alicia shivered, fresh tears swelling in her deep blue eyes, "What about you?"

Amos sadly smiled to her, holding her face in his hands and took a final look at her. With a soft kiss to her forehead Amos pulled Alicia into a tight hug. His arms grew tight around her as the door to Alicia's room started being blasted with the Death Eaters instruction. "Hold onto me tightly 'Licia." Amos whispered to her before they both Disapparated from the Diggory home and apparated in front Madame Maxime's in the middle of a down pore, soaking the two quickly, "Olympe!" Amos shouted and began banging onto her front door loudly.

Amos took a breath of relief when a loud and very angry woman's voice began cursing in French as she marched down to her front door, swinging her door open to stop the rather vicious banging, but to her shock, her anger deflated when she found a rather terrified and soaking wet Amos Diggory and Alicia Bonnet as they stood out in the middle of a downpour, "Get inzide NOW! Alicia Noelle Bo-"

"Olympe Maxime, I Amos Diggory give you full custody of Alicia Noelle Bonnet if anything terrible befalls my health and I become unable to care for my precious niece. She is in danger, I need to keep her safe, by me bringing her here, I will likely have led Death Eaters to your door, I recommend you both leave quickly, I will wait for them to arrive and distract them as best I can." Amos said swiftly as they entered the woman’s home and closed her door.

"No! Uncle Amos-" 

"Silence Alicia!" Amos barked to his teary-eyed niece. He was shaking, terrified just like she was. He didn't want to go with the Death Eaters, he wanted nothing to do with this war, but he'd die before they laid a hand on his niece.

Olympe paled in terror as Amos's words sank in, words she was dreading the outcome of. Olympe was at a loss to what was going on. Amos Diggory had just given Olympe Maxime what she had wanted when Alicia had attended her third year in Beauxbaton's school, when she attended the Yule Ball with Harry Potter. Olympe Maxime had jumped through several loops just to be refused Alicia's custody and guardianship, **"Que se passe-t-il chex Amos? Que s'est-il passè"** Her voice trembled as Amos pulled Alicia into his arms, what felt like would be the last time he'd see her.

"Be safe, stay alive, find Klay Malcolm and Morgan first before anything. Olympe has your guardianship from now on while I'm unable to, but Klay can keep you safe. Olymep, I need you to take her anywhere but here, she needs to get to Cork Ireland by tomorrow. Understand me? When you two separate you need to find Hagrid. If you can't find him, I need you to find the Weasley's, Fleur should know where they are, she can definitely help you. Now go! I'm sorry I've involved you in this Maxime -"

Maxime's shaking form waved his silence as she wrapped her arms around the crying redheaded girl who she had grown close to during the Tournament and rather after. **No! pas d'excuses, soyez prudent, Amos. Alicia, viens. `A prèsent! Nous devons quitter Alicia!"**

Alicia took one last look at her uncle as Maxime wrapped her arms around her and the two ladies Disapparated, Maxime still in her long, silk nightgown and silk robe. She was glad she had slipped her wand into her robe's pocket. With her wand drawn, she looked around the clearing, she had taken Alicia all the way to Scotland, seeing nothing around they Disapparated five more times until she finally left Alicia on the outskirts of Cork Ireland. Maxime, knowing she had purposely spared several different times between each apparition location spending between ten to fifteen minutes, two of the five she had waited an hour. Maxime had a plan to leave Alicia there on the outskirts of Cork for her to be able to rush into the village and ask for the Malcolm's, "Tell zem your name is Rose Evans, Klay knew Emma well during school. Yes?"

**"Et toi, Madame Maxime, je suis terrifiè!"** Alicia cried to the tall woman, her tears finally streaming down her pale, gently freckled face.

Maxime's already sad and scared face fell more, her own tears rolling over as she hugged the small red head to her close, **"Sois prudent, Alicia Bonnet. Trouvez Klay, s'il vous plait."** She said tearfully and placed a few kisses to the top of her red hair, "Now go!" Maxime cried, gently shoving the crying girl into a run from her and into the village. Maxime waited for a moment until Alicia's red hair was no longer in her sites and ran from where she had landed.

Waiting another hour, almost two, of panting and running, drenched in rain and sweat, Maxime Disapparated and apparated in front of Fleur's and Bill's small cottage on the beach front, "Fleur!" She screamed, the sun was just rising, likely six in the morning, and Maxime was scared, tired and sore all over, but her fear and adrenaline was still pumping through her. Her long legs buckled, and she collapsed on the beach and began to cry her heart out as the front door opened.

A blonde's eyes widened with shock and full of worry, not thinking of anything she rushed from the house and towards the collapsed woman with a fearful shout, "Madame Maxime!"

Bill had rushed out in worry towards his soon to be wife and helped the tall woman back to their cottage, fixing the woman hot tea for her as she spoke to Fleur about what had happened, Bill had only caught a few words like "Amos Diggory", "Alicia Bonnet", "showed up", "doorstep", "soaked", "Cork Ireland", "Klay", "Death Eaters", " I don't understand what really happened,'' "I'm scared", "They both were terrified". The rest Bill barely caught onto or just let it slip through his ears as he sat next to Fleur trying to comfort the woman as she continued to cry. **"Et je viens de la quitter! Je l'ai fait courir au village!"** Maxime cried.

Fleur said nothing the entire time her previous Headmistress cried and spoke. She honestly had no idea what to tell Maxime. "She's safe though, right? Amos said Klay was in Cork, yes?"

To this, Maxime simply nodded as she wiped her eyes free of the thick tears and her running nose.

Maxime had stayed with Fleur and Bill since, hoping to hear any word about Alicia's safety. But she'd heard nothing, and that terrified her, and to her horror, she had gotten wind that Klay Malcom's body was found July 8th by his daughter. Maxime cried for the family's loss and for Alicia. She was still missing.

* * *

**Translations;**

**"Que se passe-t-il chex Amos? Que s'est-il passè" =** "What is going on Amos? What has happened?"

**"No! pas d'excuses, soyez prudent, Amos. Alicia, viens. `A prèsent! Nous devons quitter Alicia!" =** "No! no apologies, be safe, Amos. Alicia, come. Now! We must leave Alicia!"

**"Et toi, madame Maxime, je suis terrifiè!" =** "What about you, Madam Maxime, I'm terrified!"

**"Sois prudent, Alicia Bonnet. Trouvez Klay, s'il vous plait." =** "Be safe, Alicia Bonnet. Find Klay, please."

**"Et je viens de la quitter! Je l'ai fait courir au village!" =** "And I just left her! I made her run to the village!"

* * *

Alicia and Morgan had fled the safe house once they had heard wind of Klay's capture and the Death Eaters had gone 'knocking' at the safe house's front door, likely not at Klay's willingness, more to someone else's. "Who do you suppose spilled?" Alicia asked panting half out of breath. They had run several blocks from Sirius Black’s previous apartment he had previously rented from, bought and owned before he handed the apartment over to the Order for a safe house.

The Order had a number of safe houses set up for them to use, but they liked to try to keep many of those locations as quiet to nearly unknowable, because the safe houses had heavy magic protecting it. On top of that, very few knew how to get passed them without breaking the charm or setting off an alarm.

"Alicia!" Morgan growled lowly, covering her mouth and pulled her flush against him as he hid them both behind a building just as a group of Death Eaters rushed past. He sighed with some relief that they’d made it to the alley way they were currently using for cover, both flush against the walls and watched the group heading away from them. "Come on, this way." Morgan said softly, looking around the corner of the next building. Seeing nothing, he grabbed her hand and the two Disapparated to a far-off safe house. A home that had been refurbished.

The home was none other than the Evans' family home that had been nearly burnt down ages ago. The owners of the home had been dead for some time, who were none other than Mellena Snape and Albus Dumbledore, the two had bought the property and home and had it rebuilt and used it as an emergency safe house for targets to flee to if, or when, their Keeper was captured and murdered. This home was created to remain undetectable to anyone, even that of the Order. The papers were nonexistent and the only owners who ever knew of it, besides Klay, were two dead people that couldn't give you any kind of information regarding the home or its use.

Muggels would walk past, and not even see the home nor the property since it was heavily guarded by magical barriers. The only reason Morgan was able to get inside was because he had the password **_and_** the spell too allow himself and Alicia inside.

* * *

**July, 1997**

The two had spent almost a month safely in the safe house. Both going through the contents of the safety box. They had both found a lot of interesting things regarding both Bingo Books. "Looks like your brother started where your dad left off. They had both Bingo Books organized very well. I mean, I'm not even this good. They have the likely, or official, ranks as they knew them, their pictures are even in here. Supporters we never even knew of, not even the Order has a damn clue some of these people are, or were, supporters. It even said if they're dead, in prison, or unknown. These date all the way back to the first War. The Allied Bingo Book has Albus, Frank and Alice Longbottom, Emma and Lily, James Potter even and several others. They even have Sirius, Remus and Peter in here in red and blue and black ink trying to figure out who the Traitor was, and it looks like they figured it out too." Morgan said reading through the notes of both Books while Alicia read through her father's and brother's journal's. He found her family's deep and very organized research very interesting. They had a talent for their job they previously had. But he had a feeling that Alicia had been lied to for years of her life about her father’s and brothers’ real job in the Magical Community. 

Alicia was in deep thought as she read, her dark blue eyes scanning the words her brother had written, the hardship of his deep research, he'd apparently interrogated the many people in the Bingo book, like their father. He was stressed, worried his and their dad's work would come home with him and hurt her and her mother. Unfortunately, their father’s fears had come true. It had eventually come home to them and both parents had been killed in an 'accident'. Paul had even fest up to finding evidence their parent’s accident had been staged, they'd been murdered, the Ministry of Magic had conducted an investigation but had lost the suspect, hadn't even seen his face, all they knew was his face had been covered by a black cloak, but the dark mark they had seen him brandishing on his left forearm was plainly seen, he had purposely been sighted and had slipped away just as easily. "They did deep Investigations on the Dark Wizards. They didn't even have a job title for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement according to their journals. It was like they didn't even exist to them."

Morgan looked up from the Bingo Books with shock and confusion, his brow scrunching with some disbelief, "What? That's impossible. The Departments would have likely given them a title for their jobs and work they did for them, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to turn in their paperwork properly. Each worker has a title there and each had a badge number they have to place in their reports and files."

"I know, but they aren't naming their title, even says in here that their _"title-less expectations for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement does not only branch to said department, but to other departments and branches of the Ministry of Magic and too other Ministries around Europe. Which is what's causing not only my own stress, but now I believe why my father was under so much stress when his work was involved. Mother seemed to have also had a clue as to what was going on, due to the last few passages in her own journal, a journal I have yet to finish and am finding rather interesting. Things I never even knew of about our parents are now being revealed to me in these journals. But now my father's fear has become my own. Alicia is no longer safe, neither am I. No one is now."_ It barely makes any sense, but from what it states, it's like their admitting to being some kind of top security research team or something. And I don't have my mother's journal because as it says in this one and a few of Paul's last few entries, he was still currently reading it, but he never states what he'd found." Alicia sighed, slightly annoyed and tossed the journal back onto the coffee table in front of her. "I am so happy I am not alone in this right now Morgan."

"You miss Harry, huh?" He asked abruptly, watching her fidget and sigh as she drank her caffeine. She'd been getting restless lately, each time dazing off into daydreams.

"Yeah, I feel terrible because I've barely been around him, I tried writing, but I got absolutely nothing back, likely he didn't get it, or he's just tired of me doing this, I never even got the chance to tell him what was going on. I have to possibly be the worst girlfriend that's ever lived! I spent two years trying to figure out how to open that box and now that it is, I can't even go to Fleur's wedding! And I know Harry would likely be there and that's even worse! I miss my friends. I miss the freedom we had from before this stupid war was going on! I want my uncle back, I want to be back in Harry's arms, I felt comfortable and safe there, perfectly fine and capable of doing life as it's thrown at me! And now I feel like I'm drowning. Cedric is dead because of that Wizard and I'm completely -"

"Alicia! Breathe." Morgan calmly shouted out to her, she hadn't realized she's stood from her seat on the small, pinkish sofa and began pacing the oak made hardwood floors. He watched her blue eyes water with coming tears and her shoulders slumped. Morgan sighed with sympathy and stood himself, hugging the redhead who'd become like his sister over the time they had hung out during school with Cho and the others. But this experience was what had brought the two closer than before. They were near as family to each other that afternoon. "I wish I could tell you we could go in disguise, but I don't trust anything, and I know it's a bad idea. The Death Eaters are planning a strike soon and if they know about the wedding that's likely where they'll strike, we can't get word to them without tracing them back to us, we have no keeper, and I am not putting you or this information in jeopardy -"

Alicia suddenly gasped with a thought, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought if it before, "Send it to them… I mean, if we take a Polyjuice potion then we can just take it to the wedding or send it to Maxime- no, never mind, she's likely with someone else, she wouldn't have gone back to her house at all. The Death Eaters are likely steaking out her home still. And I haven't a clue what happened to my uncle either. Polyjuice potion wouldn't help us either because they likely have some kind of security for the wedding, not high security but still some security that we are being us may not be able to get close. Any ideas to get these Bingo-Books to the Order? We can't send it to Emma or name anyone in the Order, so how can they know it's important without giving ourselves away."

"Emma's supposed to be dead. Anything with the deceased names, even that of the Order member's, are being closely watched likely, see if anything of importance comes through. We can't address it to Harry either, he's being looked for and anything with his name is going to be tracked -" 

"Fleur and Bill, we can send the package to the Cabin, disguised as a wedding gift, put a small letter on the box telling them to open it before the wedding and have a letter inside apologizing to them regarding the ruse, but it was the only way to get the information to the Order, and Fleur and Bill will likely hand it right over to Ron's father, who will in turn had it straight to the other Order members." Alicia interrupted Morgan, the thought had simply hit her, and it shocked her she hadn't even thought of it in the beginning.

Morgan smiled and lifted the red head up in a spin, both laughing with excitement, "You are a genius, Alicia! Merlin, Ravenclaw should be proud of you! Come on, while we're at it, maybe we can find something as a gift for them, that way we aren't being a bit offensive to them, it is their wedding day after all." Morgan said with a grin. "Come on, let's see if we can find something they'd like, hopefully we can be sneaky about it.”

“I have a dress Fleur always compliments me on when I'd wear it. I made an undetectable linking charm to my room at my uncles, hopefully there's no traps or anything there, I can just slip my hand in and ruffle through some things." Alicia said with thought, she knew Fleur would love that dress!

Nodding with a happy smile, Morgan thought for a moment himself as to what he could send them. "There's a bottle of wine in the cupboard that seems to have been sitting there for a while." Morgan stated as the thought hit him.

Alicia grinned with some laughter, “There's a hidden winery in the basement Morgan, of course there's wine up here somewhere." Alicia joked at him as she slipped her hand through her small purse and started shuffling through her closet as quietly as she could, glad that she had finally pulled out the right dress after about five minutes, "Got it!" she said with triumph.

"Red Port or White wine?" Morgan called up from the cellar, "Uh, Fleur likes both, I have no idea what Bill likes but I also don't know what kind of food they have for the wedding, so let's be safe and send the White Wine." Alicia stated, writing the notes to the Order, Fleur and Bill then another for Harry if he happened to be there, slipping a picture of the two of them that had been taken at the Yule Ball. She particularly loved the one she was sending because it not only had her and Harry as the main capture, but Sirius and Emma were dancing in the back. A smile came to her lips as she danced around the memory of it, they had fun that night, and it had been the happiest and most amazing night she had ever had. Every time Alicia thought of the Yule Ball she’d smile and felt her stomach get those wonderful butterflies she had gotten the day Harry asked her to go with him to the Ball, then the night she walked down the stairs to meet him. But it all came down to the fact that anytime she thought of Harry, Alicia felt her heart flutter with joy, she'd always feel the blush and excitement rushing through her every time she thought of her first meeting him. Their eyes when they met, her skipping heart had nearly jumped out of her chest and a few other feelings she couldn't quite explain, all good but still unexplainable.

"I miss you, Harry, I just hope I'm not losing you as the day's go on with the silence." She sighed silently to herself, as she slipped the photo and letter inside the envelope and sealed it, slipping it into the box with his initials on the front, Fleur and Bill's on one and "O.O.T.P." on another.

The two sighed, sealing the box tightly as they put a small magical seal on the box, a charm Fleur would know how to break to open said box and sent one of the Owls they had with them at the Safe house out to deliver the package. Alicia was glad she had recognized the Owl as one of Mellena's. "She'll likely know where the Cabin is. They’re having their wedding there. Now all we have to do is hope nothing happens."

"Pray and Hope, that's all we can do 'Licia." Morgan sighed, rubbing her arms for comfort as the two watched the Owl flying away from them.

_'Please make it to them safely…'_

_'Please be okay, Harry.'_

* * *

**July 29 th, 1997**

Alicia and Morgan stood their ground steady as they both positioned themselves at the front door, looking for any sign of enemies. Finding none, Morgan looked through the peephole and found, to his shock, Holly Malcolm and opened the front door, wand drawn to the blonde looking on at him with sad eyes. She looked a bit uncomfortable, but Holly wouldn't have come to him if she thought or knew something was going on, but if she was there, then Klay would have likely told her a few of their answers to their unknown questions. things no one ever knew of, "Who's my biological father?"

"Amos Diggory, all because he fell for his best friend, they had an affair, and you were the outcome." Holly stated clearly, her eyes never leaving Morgan's shocked face. Likely shocked she even knew. Klay was the only one to have known that. Smiling sweetly to Morgan she held back her excitement that he was alright and still very much alive, and where Klay had told her he'd likely go, "I'm you're new Secret Keeper… Where’s Alicia?" she suddenly asked curiously, clearly not seeing the girl in her hiding place.

* * *

***Suprise!**


	43. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 43 **

* * *

**The Wedding**

"Fleur, you 'ad a package sent to ze cottage." Maxime smiled with excitement for her previous student's big day. But her heart and mind still swirled around the missing Alicia Bonnet. Was she alive, was she dead, was she hurt and lost and in pain and terrified, all alone? Those were the questions that had continued to keep the Headmistress of Beauxbaton Academy awake at night for days on end. Until Alicia was back in her sites, breathing and well in care, Maxime had come to the conclusion that she may not sleep until then. Now the next question that had continued to plague her mind, was she ever going to see that day?

**"Merci, est-ce que le cadeau dit qui l'a envoyé?"** Fleur asked with excitement as she read the letter addressed to them, "Bill, come, someone's sent us a gift!" However, Fleur found her heart flutter and her smile drop moments later as Bill walked into the Kitchen that mornin.

"Fleur, what is it? Is everything alright, Darling?" the man asked with worry, Maxime sharing her concern, she hadn't read the little letter before she'd handed it to the pretty blonde, and now she wished she had been nosy.

* * *

**Translation-**

**"Merci, est-ce que le cadeau dit qui l'a envoyé?" =** "Thank you, does the gift say who sent it?"

* * *

"It's from Alicia," Fleur clarified, grabbing a knife from the drawer near her and cut the paper wrappings and tape from the closed box. Fleur honestly dreaded what was inside, thinking it was something for the Order, or likely from the Death Eaters that may have sent them a body part of the young missing redhead she and her sister had been so fond of. To her relief, Fleur found a beautiful, sapphire blue, knee length pencil dress. The tanked sleeves were thick, fit for a business or casual wear and a bottle of white wine. The contents made her smile, even the letters that were inside said box, one addressed to Fleur and Bill, one for the Order, and one to Harry Potter.

Smiling as she lifted the dress up and out of the box she smiled with tears. If she couldn’t see Alicia she knew this was second best. Because it was from her, she was alive and safe. It would be one of the best wedding gift’s Fleur could have ever been given from her friend. "It's her dress, I always complimented her on it, it always looks so lovely on her. Perfection in eyes site. And wine. Oh, where's Harry? There's a letter in here for him, and the Order, we need as many of them that are here. There's more here and I don't believe the rest is meant to be ours Bill."

"Right, just a moment I'll be right back." Bill walked off looking for everyone needed for the moment, he wasn't sure how it was going to go, Harry and Draco had no idea Alicia had been missing, this was going to become rather interesting.

Bill had found the four friends talking with the Minister of magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, who was not only reading off the last Will and Testament of Albus Dumbledore, but gifting them with gifts. For Harry, the Quidditch Snitch, Hermione a book of children's tales, Ron the **De-Luminator** , and Draco a silver bracelet with each Hogwarts House symbol.

"It's embroidered with magic?" Draco asked the Minister in confusion, but he hadn't received and answer, simply a shrug of equal confusion, "He had it made for himself but it was finished after his death, his Will states that you are to be given said chain. Whatever magic it may hold I wouldn't know of it. The creator was left anonymous in the order filed. You'll have to figure out it's magical properties yourself, Mr. Malfoy. Now, unfortunately Dumbledore also left you another heirloom, Harry. However, the Sword of Gryffindor was not Dumbledore's to give. As a Historical part of our history and the very sword of Godric Gryffindor, it belongs to the Museum. There's only one problem…. The Sword of Gryffindor is missing. No one has any idea where it's currently located at. Now, I have much more to do today, give your brother my congratulations, Mr. Weasley, good day." And with that, the Minister was gone.

"Oh, Bill- what's wrong?" Ron asked his older brother, worried by his fallen face, but with is silence came all their worries, something had happened. Something they all had a deep feeling that they were not going to like, "Bill?"

"The Order has gathered up stares with Fleur, we need you four up-stairs. There's a letter for Harry from someone I think he's going to want to see." Bill said softly, informing the four confused and now worried teens as they followed the Groom of the day up the stairs and into a room their father had converted into an office.

"What's going on?" Harry asked seeing everyone's fallen and terrified faces. "Alicia sent us information and letters, there's one addressed to you Harry." Lupin said, holding the envelope out to the boy who took it with some panic.

Licking his dry lips, Harry opened the envelope and watched as a picture fell from the folded letter, one they had taken during the Yule Ball, one he never noticed had captured a smiling Emma and Sirius dancing behind them. As he picked up the fallen picture and began studying it, he smiled to the photo in his hand and turned to read the beautiful handwriting, but with each word his heart grew heavy with fear. "Death Eaters attacked her and Amos, took her uncle and she's on the run with a friend. I- I don't understand, why haven't we been told about this!" Harry roared up, his worry turning from fear to anger towards the Order.

Emma took a breath, hoping he’d understand why they had decided not to tell him, because they hadn’t honestly known until they’d seen her name on the list of students that had not returned to Hogwarts who were meant to have returned to School. They’d been looking for the girl for weeks with no luck. So this was news to them. "We didn't want to tell you until we had found something regarding her safety.” 

"It's better than nothing Mum!" Harry shouted to her, for the first time in a while, Harry was furious with Emma, understandably so, but they hadn't told him. They hadn't told any of them.

Emma and the others were taken back, forgetting where his fearful mind was sending him. Harry had lost a lot the last couple years, even if Alicia hadn’t really sent word to any of them, she would always send a small gift or huge letter here or there apologizing from her absent writing. They hadn’t thought much of it when they received nothing over the break, Harry knew she had a bad memory when it came to writing back.

“You seriously think we're going to give you very little information regarding your missing girlfriend and have nothing to ease your mind?” Emma stood from her chair carefully, worried her nephew and son would do something crazy and life threatening, again, without thinking of it.

"I have to find her. No thanks to you lot." He growled a bit, the words had slipped out, not intentionally meaning to say them Harry flinched at his stupidity and the way his aunt and mothers face dropped and lost some color.

"Harry James Potter! Sit down right now!" Sirius barked out to the boy as he stormed from the study, both adopted parents following suit.

"Harry! You can't go looking for her when you're wanted yourself. They're after her and you. They'll follow you and kill you both once you've found her! She sent these letters' and the information to us so she wouldn't endanger us or you!" Emma shouted after him. Though she was having no response, Harry was ignoring Emma.

Walking out of the front door Harry stormed from the porch and towards the barrier, "Drop the Barriers."

"No. You are not going out there, **1)** alone, nor are you going out there only to put her in more danger than she already is in. They were after her because of those files. The Bingo Books her father and brother died protecting, they also died protecting Alicia -"

"AND SO WILL I IF I HAVE TO!" Harry roared out, turning on a dime, coming nose to nose with Emma, both staring one another down, but Harry's stare was failing in the deep green emeralds of his aunt and mother.

Emma took a breath to calm herself, it took everything she had inside herself not to shout at him for being blind about why Alicia sent him the letter. "Harry, Alicia would die before anything happened to you, and you her. I get that, but if you go out there, looking for her and if and when you find her, those Death Eaters would have found you both. Then her parents and her brothers' murders, their deaths, were wasted. The risk she took to send this to us, without it even being remotely intercepted, was life threatening to her and that friend helping her. Alicia risked her life and that of the friend you both share just by handing this information over to us. If you go out there and find her, you're all dead."

To this, Harry sighed, his high and stiff shoulders falling, his spine slumped a bit giving him the few inches to lean his head forward and resting his brow to Emma's shoulders. Instinctively the two wrapped their arms around the other, one in sorrow fear and apology and other in comfort, relief and also apology.

With a soft sigh of relief, Emma gave his back a comforting rub and softly spoke to him as he silently cried into her shirt. "She's alive, she's a smart girl… She's a Ravenclaw Harry…. Morgan's likely the friend with her because he too has been missing for a few months. And if so, he’s a talented Slytherin, protective and determined. Cedric was his best friend, Alicia is Cedric's cousin, Amos Diggory's niece. Morgan knows this, he'll keep her safe. Trust Alicia, trust Morgan…. Trust me."

With a sad nod, Harry agreed in understanding, but the figure behind them that caught his eyes in shock and bewilderment as the boy grinned his charmed grin, "Hey Harry,"

"C-Cedric? But ho-how-" 

"Long story, I'll tell you later. But um, I heard your best friend's brother was getting married and I figured it was time I came out of hiding." Cedric said with a shrug, "Like I said, long story."

Harry laughed with happy tears in his eyes as he rushed the friend he thought was dead and both boys hugged one another in welcome. But this was a friend that was in fact still six feet under.

"I watched you die, your ghost-"

"You only saw what Dumbledore, Snape and I wanted you to see. I caught onto Jr, tried going to Dumbledore, but Snape found me first. We hitched a plan to send Myrtle in as me. Don't ask how the Polyjuice potion worked on her, I honestly thought I was seeing things, but it did, she went in pulled the job and I went underground."

The entire time they spent setting up for the wedding, Emma and a few others were skeptical, keeping close eyes on this Cedric when he was near anyone. Especially Hermione.

Something felt funny about this, and none of them were sure how to approach this.

Draco seemed to be slowly catching on, he'd noticed the bracelet Dumbledore had left him was stinging him a bit, a sting that was an annoying and very uncomfortably sting and pinch. Glancing down, he found the serpent was glowing a deep green. Scrunching his brow in confusion, Draco took a chance to see if his mind was traveling in the right direction and moved closer to Cedric and started a conversation with him, all the while the bracelet's sting and pinch had grown to a slight painful bite, like he'd been bitten by the very serpent of Slytherin house. "Nice talking to you Cedric, but um, Ginny seems to need help inside."

"Not at all, good seeing you Draco, I'll be over with Hermione if you need anything."

"Well, I kind of need to kidnap Hermione a bit, her and Ginny, you see they made Harry a birthday cake and she wanted to write the words so, the cake is done any everything, but I need her to finish it. See you later Ced." And with a grin of victory, Draco patted Cedric's arm and walked off to his female friend and gently grabbed her arm. "A word inside, please. Now." Draco whispered to her, a bit of a growl rolling from him, pulling the very confused Hermione inside with him.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy -"

"That's not Cedric Diggory Kitty-cat… It's Finn." He told her.

Hearing this sent cold chills down her spine, "What? No that's -"

Draco watched a bit confused himself as Hermione had shifted from suddenly defending the boy to go through her recent thoughts, she had spoken to him just a few moments prior, but it had been the name he'd continued calling her throughout their small talks. Her mind ran full circle to when she'd seen him just Apparate into the Cabin's barriers and shields. Something he shouldn't have been capable enough to do alone, he'd have needed help; **_Cedric smiled at the tearing eyed Hermione as she rushed him and the boys, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug as she cried, "Hey there Kitten, what's with the tears?"_**

He'd called her _'Kitten'._

Suddenly realizing he was right, Hermione shifted uncomfortably with a small gasp gasp of breath being sucked into her lungs, "Draco, I think we have more than just one rat inside these shields…. He'd have needed help from the inside as well as out to get in."

"Not unless a family member was invited, and he has said invitation," Cedric's voice sang smoothly, his grin still as charming as it had been on the real Cedric, but to their horror, he was holding a giggling Marlene in his arms, wand in hand. "Now, I'm going to keep this precious baby girl in my arms until I get what I want from this Wedding, and if I so much as suspect you're trying to rat me out, the kid is dead…” Finn said softly, his eyes lighting with evil intentions as he gently tickled the two-year-old with the tip of his wand.

Marlene's curly blond hair was pulled back atop her head by a cute pink bow tie and dressed in a peach-colored knee-high dress and white sandals on her tiny feet.

"Finn. You sick son of a -" 

"Language Draco, language." Finn interrupted him with a playful tsk, "You know, she's a cute little thing, no parents though. So sad. Maybe I'll keep her and find a mummy for her? What do you say Kitten?" Finn asked Hermione with a grin and a wink.

Draco and Hermione nearly vomited, but he was not going to let Finn take either of the girls. Draco took a deep breath as he grabbed Hermione's hand and moved her behind him. "Over my dead body Finn. You won't lay a hand to her."

"Ooh, I thought you were cuddling up with the cute redheaded Weasley. No? My mistake."

"Hermione's practically my sister, you demented bastard, but you won't hear a peep from us, we'll play your pathetic game this time around Finn. But the second Mars isn't in your arms, you better watch yourself." Draco growled, his blue eyes stealing with malice and hatred into his cousin, a look that actually scared Finn.

But Finn was just as good as Bellatrix at hiding behind his crazy nature, "Good boy, no peep about me, stay close to one another, no splitting up. I want you both in eyesight. No tricks, if I smell something funny, the kid either dies or I leave here with a daughter."

* * *

**Safe House**

"Alicia, where are you going!" Morgan asked in fear storming after the terrified girl, "Alicia!"

"Morgan, they're likely attacking them now! If I just stand here and do nothing. Harry and the others, Amos, will believe his son was alive the entire time and had betrayed them! I will not let them disgrace my cousin like this!" she cried running from the boy she knew she could look at as her brother. They figured out that the reason they had been seeing Cedric's body around out of the corner of their eyes and quick glances was because someone had likely gotten stands of his hair or blood. They'd just recently had the proof of this in a photo Holly had shown them from on of her surveillance scouting's she had done a few days back. Holly had gotten a photo of a fake Cedric with a few Death Eaters. One in particularly being Bellatrix Lestrange. Meaning whoever was using Cedric's identity was practicing and or using Cedric's identity as a disguise to get close with the Order and without a doubt, Harry Potter.

Morgan was trying to catch her, but Alicia had a good head start. She had Disapparated as fast as she could. Now granted she never did it before on her own, but she had a pretty good idea how, she just knew she was going to regret it likely, and she was right.

Holly's eyes grew wide as she rushed out of the Kitchen about to demand to know what the heck they were arguing about. A gasp caught in her throat, she knew exactly what she was going to do, "Alicia NO!" But it was too late, Holly and Morgan had fallen right through air as the redhead vanished with a zap and panic set in, "Holly-"

"I know, come on! Wand at the ready?" She asked, both giving their nods, Holly grasped Morgan's hand and Disapparated after the girl.

But it was too late, they had all arrived at a war zone, Draco fighting Finn in Cedric's form, a wicked grin on his face, a crying two year old in his arms, Draco was doing his best to not aim for the girl, but as he took his steps closer Finn laughed, "CATCH DRAGON!" and tossed the screaming little girl up, Disapparating to a different location around the wedding and began a different duel with another as Draco made a dive, catching her in his arms and rolled under a nearby table, thankfully giving him cover. He took a sigh of relief and took notice Marlene was unscratched, just sacred.

Everyone had either Disapparated out, had been captured, fighting or laying on the ground injured or dead.

Holly and Morgan engaged in the fight, backing whoever they could. "Alicia!" Morgan shouted, trying to warn her of the Death Eater that had popped up behind her, "Morgan!" Holly screamed, but heartbreakingly, she was too late.

A searing pain struck him in the back sending him to his knees panting with a sudden onset of difficulty breathing, within seconds the world spun, and his eyes closed.

Alicia screamed in fright as arms wrapped around her like a vise. In her struggle she saw many things rolling out in slow motion. Emma, Maxime, Molly and George were guarding the crying and defenseless kids, Draco had Disapparated Marlene with the kids being protected then moved to help Sirius and Remus make their way around, gathering up Ron, Hermione and Harry. He'd grabbed Hermione on his way over, but he'd made the mistake of turning his back to more enemies' opportunities.

"Hermione!" Ron screamed, horror filling them all as they watched a killing curse soar straight for her at the very hands of a mid-morphed Finn.

In a panic, Alicia hadn't thought of anything as she threw her wand between the curse and Hermione's back, watching the curse shatter her beautiful oak wand into splinters.

The action had drawn the four friends' eyes, Harry's all the more connecting with her deep blue eyes as tears rolled down her face, feeling the Death Eater's boding being pulled inward, ready to Disapparate as he laughed. Knowing she'd only have seconds to spare she screamed to Harry, one order she hoped he'd listen to.

"RUN!" 

And with a zap, Alicia Noelle Bonnet was gone and in the very clutches of Voldemort.

Harry sprang forward trying above all odds to get to her before she had vanished, but the second his body had moved she was gone from his eyesight as Remus held him back. "'LICIA!"

Draco threw Hermione into Ron's arms who grunted with panicked gasp of relief knowing she was in his arms. Draco grabbed ahold of Harry by his shirt and tossed him back behind himself, Remus and Sirius and into Hermione's and Ron's grasp, guarding the three friends from curse after curse. "GO!" He shouted over his shoulder.

Tears running down her face at the panic she was now experiencing, Hermione gasped a few breaths in, her hand reaching out for the blond, "Draco -" 

"SHUT UP AND GO 'MIONE!" Draco shouted over his shoulder deflecting four more curses. The Death Eaters were after Harry and the other two, not him. Finn was the only one that wanting him as a target, the others likely didn't care. Annoyed Draco glared over his shoulder, his bright blue eyes connecting with Ron's and both shared a nod, "Ron, go!"

"No -" Harry was cut short as Ron Disapparated them, Harry wasn't going to leave Draco, Hermione was far too terrified to move, and he knew Draco wasn't going to be going with them that time around. They were on their own this time.

Draco had been separated from Remus and Sirius and was once again dueling his deranged and laughing cousin as he sent curse after curse to the blond.

"Come on Draco! SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!" Finn shouted, a crazy look in his eyes, he was getting too close to Draco for his comfort, but what the blond had failed to notice was the closer Finn had moved to him, he'd pulled a dagger from his belt and with ease, physically disarmed Draco Malfoy and ran the very dagger Avery had ran through Emma. Running Draco through his stomach, twisted and pulled up just a bit slicing a good two-inch gash upwards. How he had gotten ahold of said dagger was a mystery to anyone.

Ginny gasped at the sight, her brown eyes filling with fearful tears, her voice lost for words for a moment, noticing as Finn pulled the dagger from the blond, watched Finn laugh as he deflected curses from Emma and Tonks.

Her world moved slowly, heart beating painfully as it dropped into her stomach, Ginny Weasley hadn't even noticed she was screaming. Her feet moved all their own, running for the stumbling blond as his cousin laughed and vanished singing, **_"Down, down the Dragon falls!"_** and caught him in her arms before his head hit the ground. "No, no, no, Dr-Draco… no come on, stay awake.. pl-p-please… DRACO!"

Emma and Tonks skidded to their knees in pure panic. Tonks taking the screaming girl into her arm, both shaking and crying while Emma applied pressure to the wound, "Come on Draco, st-stay awake come on… Draco? Dr-Draco open your eyes!" Emma cried applying more pressure, causing Draco to scream and groan in pain. A cold sweat had quickly set in, "… Gi-nny?" He shivered out his words as best he could. Truthfully, he was even lucky he got that much out.

The fighting had stopped, the Death Eaters were gone, now they were left with dead, injured or dying friends or family, now they were counting those who were missing, praying with everything they had that they hadn’t been one of the many captured.

Hearing her name Ginny shot from Tonks arms and grabbed Draco’s shivering hand and held his face in her hands, tears rolling down her cheeks, "I'm here, you have to stay awake okay?" to this he did his best to nod, but it had only been an activation for a seizure and Emma quickly went to work with Ginny and Tonks's aid, to her blessed luck.

Hearing Holly off behind them, Emma glanced over her shoulder and almost cried out again, her, Molly, Sirius and Remus were working on the battered and sliced back of Morgan Graham. "Is he at least alive?" Emma asked over moving back to Draco's wound in full worry about losing another kid. Harry, Ron and Hermione were in the wind hopefully, Alicia was now missing, Draco was down for the count and half dead and Morgan was border length dead with the blond Malfoy.

"I-I don't know." Holly choked out, tears running down her face as she helped the three to stop the bleeding, "We need Poppy, I-I’m not a healer!"

"We can't move them! Draco will be dead the second Emma and Tonks remove the pressure and Morgan likely won't last either if we move him. His back, he should be dead. This spell, it’s strong but it wasn’t performed right, _Sectumsempra_ , should have killed him." Lupin said looking him over with shaking hands, this had to of been the worst fight they had ever been in.

" _Vulnera Sanentur_ …. The counter curse, that's what it is." Ginny spoke up, shaken she may have been, but she was glad to say Snape had actually talked to her about that, Finn had gone around boasting about how great he was with curses and had ended up nearly killing another student, Snape had healed the boy, but Ginny had confronted him regarding it and he'd explained the spell he’d used. "Well, heal him! It works trust me!" She cried over Draco, he'd fainted once again, he was still bleeding out, but he was also bleeding inside, that was something they couldn't fix.

A sudden thought had struck Emma, and she felt rather stupid for not thinking of it sooner, "Kreacher…" 

"What!" Sirius asked, shocked Emma was thinking of the Grimmauld house elf at that time, "Kreacher!" she screamed again, and to his shock the house elf came in seconds with a zapping snap sound. His big, old eyes widening at the horrific scene, "M-mistress Fox?"

"Hogwarts, I need you to go to Hogwarts and bring back Madame Pomfrey, now… If she doesn't listen, tell her that Draco and Morgan are dying and Foxy can't fix it, she'll understand. GO!" with another zap Kreacher was gone.

"Please make it here, Poppy…" Emma softly chanted to herself, applying as much pressure as she could to Draco's wound. She was not going to lose him, not like that. "Come on Draco, wake up."


	44. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 44 **

* * *

Poppy had come as swiftly as she could when Kreacher had arrived suddenly and delivered Emma’s message. The scene she arrived to was horrifying.

Draco was laying on the ground in Ginny Weasley’s arms nearly gutted and another was laying off ten feet from her face down, Remus, Sirius and Molly and a blonde she knew looked familiar was trying to stop the bleeding to his back, he’d been hit with a curse that had sliced him up terribly, many were deep and he’d be lucky if he didn’t have spinal damage.

Arthur Weasley, Fred, George and the newlyweds were rushing around trying to look for others who were alive and if they needed care, others were laying still as death. Poppy quickly rushed to the nearest one who needed immediate care, Draco Malfoy. But Emma’s terrifying sputters stopped her with confusion, “No, Morgan first Poppy,” she sputtered with fear when the Nurse started trying to work on the blond, “The spell, I mean, the counter curse - i-it isn’t working-”

Poppy’s sudden glare to the panicking woman steeled her silent, “Enough Mrs. Black! I’m the Healer here. You called for my aid, now stand aside while I do my job. Go help Morgan, I have Draco, he’s in a worse state.”

Doing as told, Emma moved from Draco, leaving Ginny and Tonks with Poppy as the Hogwarts Healer worked her magic and moved to start helping with the counter curse to Morgan’s back, “It has been tampered with, this is a different form of the curse. The wand used was laced with poison… I-I’m not a Herbologist, I have no idea how to get rid of the poison.” Emma sputtered trying the counter curse over and over, only to watch it fail every time, yet the breath caught in Remus’s throat was a reaction of realization. One that drew their attention.

Emma and Molly placed pressure to the multiple deep lacerations to his torn back with whatever clean fabric or napkins they could find, while Sirius kept a close eye on his pulse, his grey eyes fixed on Remus with confusion as they all waited for Remus’s response, “What?”

Remus shook his head clear of the slight shock, he was thankful Sirius had said something otherwise he’d have continued staring, “Molly, I need a few things from your herbs and potions collection you have in the house and herb barn.” Remus’s sudden voice had drawn the woman’s worried face and shaking hands from the shock of losing more lives to this war. Her son’s wedding had even been attacked. “Yes, yes, o-of course, what is it?” Molly said rushing over.

At hearing the list Remus listed off Molly nodded with gratefulness, “I actually have all of that, Fleur-”

“I’ll get the herbs from the green house!” Fleur shouted with a nod and dashed out towards the herb barn. Her mother-in-law rushed into one of the cabinets in the kitchen they stored other ingredients for potions, then rushed back out to the tent, “I have it, Fleur- ah, thank you dear.”

With that, the shaken team went to work on grinding their ingredients into a paste, watching with wonder as the poison began evaporating from Morgan’s bloody back as soon as the concoction had been applied, leaving everyone in wide eyed shock. “You’re amazing Remus,” Emma said with a smile in amazement.

Sirius piped up with a happy laugh and patted his best friend on the back with excitement, “More like a genius! Moony you’re magnificent. Hey there Morgan, think you can move inside to a bed?” Sirius laughed with a smile to the young man slowly waking up with a painful groan. “I think so…Sirius?”

Sirius laughed as he and Remus helped the staggering and groggy boy onto his feet, “Yes,”

“Alicia, where is she?” he asked looking around, “What happened? Oh Merlin, is that man dead?”

Everyone’s silence was terrifyingly sickening with so many thoughts running through his mind it hurt him, “Where’s Alicia.” His tone was shaken, but he had to know. Morgan had to know where the girl was, he’d taken a curse from behind trying to get to her in time, she was a target they had managed to get, one they had been looking for, for months, maybe longer. “Where’s my cousin Sirius!”

The two Marauder’s shared a look of worry, but the words chilled him to the core as Sirius began, “Death Eater’s grabbed her before we even had the chance to help her.”

With a sad sigh, Remus continued on for his down looking friend, “She was gone before we even realized what was happening.” They honestly weren’t sure if Morgan and Alicia were family related, but his outburst and slip gave them pause and a slight eye for worry.

Morgan’s eyes fell with unshed tears, “She’s gone then, I failed… I failed all of them, I failed Gregory…. I failed Helena. I failed Dumbledore and Cedric, I failed Alicia.”

“No, whoa,” Sirius quickly drew the boy to a stop, “First off, you failed no one. You tried when you got here to start with. Secondly, you kept her safe and very much alive so far before she even came here and I’m pretty damn sure she did that crazy appearance all her own, she is after all Cedric’s baby cousin and thirdly who in Merlin’s third world Hell is Gregory?” Sirius was understanding of the first few, but Morgan believing he’d failed was crazy. Then there was this Gregory guy that made him question things. Two big questions were; who was he? And who was he to Morgan and Alicia?

_‘Forgive me Greg,’_ With a deep breath of courage, Morgan closed his eyes tight, hoping his friend wasn’t near to hear him spill, “Gregory is Helena Ravenclaw’s husband. Alicia’s ancestor. His name is Gregory Alexander Cezar.”

Remus and Sirius stopped in the doorway of the cabin as they walked the boy in, “Is? As in still alive?” Sirius questioned with full shock and wonder, it seemed there had been a lot of that going on lately.

Remus was agreeing with Sirius, Morgan was using present key terms and sentence’s “You mean he’s still alive, h-how is that even possible.”

* * *

**Malfoy Manor**

“Alicia, how lovely to finally meet you my dear girl. You’re everything and more from what I’ve heard.” Voldemort said softly gliding across the floor of the manor towards the shivering girl, he had to admit it was a bit chilling in the darkness of the Manor, even when you were out of the dungeons. “Someone, get this poor girl a set of comfortable robes, she’s shivering, we can’t have this darling girl frozen to death before the eclipse in six months’ time.”

“Come on child, I think I have something that may fit you,” Narcissa said, swiftly walking up to the redhead and gently wrapping an arm around the chilling girl. Yet, the stern glare she received from the Dark Lord was stilling, it took everything she had not to shrink away. “Yes, please do Narcissa, however I believe I’ll ask your sister to accompany you two ladies. Bellatrix!”

“Yes, my Lord,” a smiling Bellatrix asked smoothly, walking into the front room. But to Alicia’s full shock, her widening eyes fell to Bellatrix’s growing belly.

Bellatrix Lestrange was pregnant. The wild woman’s wide grin grew more, thrilled when she saw where Alicia’s eyes fell. Bella’s dresses had been changed out for comfort. They were no longer tight but fell around her like a roman empress dress style, “Sissy, bring the darling girl to find something warm for her. This place always was too cold.” Bellatrix said, only for a moment to swiftly snatched Alicia’s chin into a strong grip. Forcing the redhead to face her stern studying eyes. It was then her eyes softened just a tad as she looked the girl over and into her eyes. “You could be her daughter, you know that. Sirius must be stunned as ever, looks like redheaded taste runs in the Potter line, not to mention the Malfoy and Black line. Draco is practically salivating at that Weasley brat. Still can’t believe that prat of a rebellious Black went after -”

“Bella,” Narcissa softly called for her sister. Praying she’d stop.

Pouting just a little as her mind woke up, Bella huffed a little and released Alicia’s chin, “Follow me.” And that was the end of the discussion. Bellatrix knew Narcissa had tried to run a few years ago, knew she’d helped the Potter’s back in ’81, but she loved her sister dearly. However, Narcissa was running out of chances with Bellatrix, and they both knew it.

Narcissa had to be careful treading this line, Voldemort wanted Alicia not for the bingo books or anything else in the box, but for her bloodline and Helena’s ring. Narcissa had to get the ring and the girl as far from each other as possible, and she had only one way to warn her, she had to take the risk and open her mind.

**_ “Alicia,” _ **

The poor girl jumped from fright at hearing a voice sound through her mind, she heard the stories from her mother about hearing voices; it was never a good sign. But this voice sounded familiar, she’d just recently heard her speaking, **_“Mrs. Malfoy?”_**

**_ “Yes, I need you to will your ring away for you, away from here. If He gets his hands on you and the ring together, you’re dead in six months. If you will it away to someone unexpected it’ll be safe. You’ll be safe.” _ **

**_ “But how will they know to keep it safe? Hidden?” _ **

**_ “Connect your mind to it, it’ll travel farther and to the very person you wish it to go to, do it Alicia! Hurry.” _ **

**_ “But I don’t know how to do that!” _ **

**_ “Hush girl! Take a few deep breaths, calm yourself, like when you’re casting a spell to defend you or a loved one.” _ **

Alicia sighed and took a breath to calm herself as she was told, her hand tightly gripping Narcissa’s own hand holding her close.

Draco’s mother was equally reluctant to not letting go of the young redhead anytime soon as they walked through the Manor and towards a room the girl would be staying in for the time being. Alicia would be a comfortably living prisoner, but she was finding it difficult to concentrate with the tension, fear and pressure she was under. **_“Your safe as long as I’m breathing Alicia, you’ll be alright. They won’t touch you until he needs you and the ring by the eclipse.”_**

**_ “How can I trust you!” _ **

**_ “Alicia, I will not let anything harmful happen to you. I sent my son away to Emma for a reason, why would I lie to you about your safety? I’m the one betraying my own husband and sister. My tradition, the belief’s I was raised with all because I know this is wrong what they’re doing. You trust Draco and Emma, yes?” _ **

**_ “Yes,” _ **

**_“Then you can trust me. Just hold onto me, channel us both, and concentrate. Will your ring away from you, to whomever you think can keep it safe. Someone you trust.”_** Narcissa smiled when she felt her magic slipping through her hand and into Alicia. Narcissa couldn’t help but feel for the ring on Alicia’s right finger and smiled with tearing eyes to her sister’s back as she felt the ring vanish from the girl’s person. **_“You did beautifully Alicia. Now leave the rest to me.”_**

* * *

**August 2** ** nd ** **, 1997**

**Lovegood House**

“Luna, supper and tea are ready!” Xenophilius shouted up to his daughter with a sigh. He hadn’t heard word from anyone since the Death Eaters ambushed Bill and Fleur’s wedding. He felt terrible for the couple and the family, even more so worried for Harry and the other two and Alicia, Luna’s best friend. They had stayed long enough just to witness Alicia being grabbed, then vanishing. He could still hear his daughter's screams for her friend.

Luna had cried herself to sleep last night and it had broken his heart, but he could have sworn he heard voices last night in her room, but when he’d checked on her, she had claimed she had woken up from a bad dream, that the voices had been her talking to herself. It had never occurred to him that the voices had been between Luna and the message that had come along with the suddenly appearing Patronus with a delivery from Alicia.

**Flashback - Luna's Room**

**_“Luna, I need your help.”_ **

**_“Licia? Where are you-”_ **

**_“No time Luna. This ring is dangerous in his hands, hide it, even from myself for a while. Please, you’re the only one I can trust with this. It’s an heirloom that’s been through so much history and hardship. Only a Ravenclaw can guard and awaken its magic, it’s not safe in my hands any longer during this war. If you have questions, find the box, that can give you answers you seek. Be safe.”_** Then she was gone, and Luna was left with a silver blue studded ring in her palm. Her red puffy eyes had traced every angle of the piece of jewelry until she found the inscription, “Helena Ravenclaw?”

Even the next morning Luna found herself stunned by the beauty of it, but she found it shocking that no one had ever heard of the ring, which gave her questions as to where it came from, and if it truly was Helena’s ring. She had decided the ring was safer with her personally. She had found a chain and slipped the ring and chain around her neck, hiding the new object beneath her shirt as she joined her father for an early supper, one that she ate in silence.

“Luna, speak to me?” Xenophilius softly begged his daughter, her silence bothered him greatly.

“There’s nothing to talk about dad. You did what any father would have done, you brought me home where it was safe. There was nothing we could have done anyway.” Luna said softly in return to her father’s beg and a soft smile, she didn’t fault him, and she hadn’t meant for him to feel she had in any way. He was all Luna had left, and she was all her father had left, she would never blame him for doing what any parent would have done. “School will be starting in the short few weeks, I have my list already.”

“Then we will see what they have at Diagon Alley in the next few days and get the rest towards the end of the month.” Xenoplilius said with a pleased smile, his daughter was speaking, and she held no fault against him, that warmed his heart, but the dread of something happening to her terrified him.

Each night Luna would look at the ring and was unintentionally creating her own connection to Alicia.

* * *

**Malfoy Manor**

**September 3** ** rd ** **, 1997**

Finn had stormed her room early that morning at 4:45 a.m. and had pulled her from the bed, yet he’d looked as if he hadn’t enjoyed a single moment of it. She stood in the study room still dressed in her long-sleeved white cotton full sweep Jane Austen nightgown Narcissa had allowed her to have for the chilled home. Unfortunately, a rumor had rushed around that Draco Malfoy had been murdered by a Death Eater at the wedding. At this news, Narcissa had understandably locked herself in her room to mourn her son, leaving Alicia to defend herself for the time.

Voldemort paced back and forth, a bored Bellatrix sat behind him in a chair, her eyes bearing into Alicia as she shivered from the stares. Worst of all, Voldemort and Bellatrix scared her more than Finn had ever done. “Where is the ring?”

She had tried her best to not shiver, she was terrified, “What ring?” she whispered softly. Instantly flinching with a loud, fearful scream, lifting her arms to cover her face as Voldemort grabbed her by the back of her hair, jerking her head back viciously and brought the shivering girl within an inch to his face. His red eyes burning through her, even with her eyes shut tightly, Alicia swore she could see his eyes burning with heated anger, “WHERE IS THE RAVENCLAW RING!”

“What ring!” she screamed back fearfully. Alicia was going to stay to the story, and she had gone as far as blocking who and why. She would be damned a thousand times over before she gave up her best friend.

Her refusal to cooperate had enraged the Dark Wizard only more. Voldemort growled and threw her across the study room with an angry roar, “You lie! You were wearing the ring when you arrived! Now where is it!”

Alicia had slid across the rough carpet of the study floor, giving her rug burn through her nightgown to her side, ripping a pained shout and tears from her. Her fear was doubling as she heard Bellatrix laughing to her pain and her struggle as she attempted to stand back up on her feet. The fear and pain had left her staggering and shaken, forcing Alicia to use the wall she was near to help her stay upright on wobbly feet. Her shivering had grown to full shaking tremors as tears rolled down her lightly freckled cheeks.

Lucius shivered off in a corner as he watched the poor girl. He felt sick that a young girl was being bullied and abused right in front of him, but he felt most sick about himself, his own son had been in the same position just a few years ago with his cousin Finn. Lucius had known Finn was getting physical with his son, and he hadn’t stopped it, but as he watched Alicia being tossed around, he couldn’t help but imagine Draco in the same position of being flung around and slammed into the walls and his desk. The assault was ripping continuous screams from her.

Her nightgown had been ripped from the objects on his desk which had been knocked off the desk. The strong grip he had on her gown also ripped her nightgown when he would grab ahold of her. His nails had ripped and cut into her skin, the blood from the cuts she was getting to her back and the bruises to the rest of her body from her being tossed around like a ragdoll was painful and terrifying. They all hoped it only went as far as this.

“WHERE IS THE RING!” The Dark Lord roared into her face.

“M-my Lord, p-perhaps she just needs some rest to remember where she may have placed it?” Lucius spoke up, he was terrified he’d kill the girl before she even made it to the Eclipse, but he’d soon regret his decision to interrupt when Voldemort’s dark red eyes turned on him with rage.

“Shut up Malfoy! Unless you’d like to take her place!” Voldemort had once again roared, causing Lucius to shrink back into his corner, looking to the floor in fear and full submission. His silence and shrinking away allowed the Dark Wizard to return to his interrogation to the terrified and crying girl.

* * *

**Weasley’s Cabin**

**September 21st, 1997**

“Draco, you need to rest, you were nearly gutted.” Molly said rushing after the boy, wincing painfully as he walked to the kitchen, but his small smile and gentle laugh that he gave at Molly’s fretting over him pulled a few small smiles.

“I can’t keep lying in bed, the wound is healed, it just hurts to move. Finn got me pretty good.” He laughed sarcastically, sitting down at the dinner table with a sigh, “How’s Morgan doing?”

“Yes, how is my dear friend doing?” A males’ voice asked from the doorway, his tone was strong and held a natural seduction. His voice had turned heads to the door, Molly and Draco stared with wide eyes and shock as they took in his appearance; pale skin, pitch black hair past his shoulders pulled back into a hair tie, but what grasped their attention was his shocking vivid dark sapphire eyes. He held his body well, shoulders straight and strong and a very well-built body. This man had an air around him, an air of history.

The man continued looking between the two waiting as patiently as he could, “Well, is he alright?” he asked again, still standing on the doorstep, the door wide open, “Uh, well-well… Um,” Draco stuttered glancing between Molly and the man.

“Who are you and how’d you find this place.” Molly demanded, raising her wand to him.

Draco’s jaw dropped with shock that the sweet Weasley woman and mother had instantly went for defense. “Molly-” 

“Stay where you are Draco, I want answers, and I’ll get them.” Molly said sternly. A hard glare directed to the pale man who raised his hands in mock surrender with a grin.

“Easy there lovely, I’m not here to hurt anyone, in fact, I’m here to help you.”

“Really? Forgive me if I call your bluff… Who are you!” After the attack on the wedding, Molly was taking no spared chances, her daughter was back at Hogwarts and she had restarted up Dumbledore’s Army with Luna Lovegood and others in pure secrecy, and it had been a success thus far.

The man held back a laugh, he truly did find others’ reactions to him humorous, “Gregory Cezar, Morgan Graham’s friend…”

Molly’s body stiffened a bit when she heard the name, Morgan had spoken to them about him after the attack, “Gregory?”

“Yes, may I come inside now?” He asked, a smile wide on his face as the ginger haired woman continued staring at him with a shocked expression, she truly thought they’d never meet the man, but the fact he was standing on the doorstep in an area he shouldn’t be able to enter. Emma had made sure of that. Her very own spells, and Gregory had gotten through without the smallest of scratch, he was in one piece and seemed to find her reaction a bit humorous, to her annoyance.

Catching onto why her reaction seemed shocked, he grinned once more and nodded in understanding, “If you’re wondering how I got through those charms don’t worry, they were very well put and a challenge really. Don’t tell me, let me guess, Emma Evans. Or is it Black now?” he poked at Molly and Draco.

Draco having enough of the sarcastic humor from the guy, he scuffed and stood with some pain as he answered, “It’s Emma Black, and what do you want with my Aunt, _Gregory_.” 

“Well aren’t you just a spit-fire… Draco means _Dragon_. You sure hold up to its attitude,” he joked, “Anyways, I’m here to help, and I want my family safe, like she was before she decided it was alright to be a hero and that viol creature stole her. Now, where are the rest of you?”

“Who are you to Alicia?” Draco demanded, standing beside Molly, knowing if he stood in front of her, she’d have his head. They watched Gregory sigh deeply, a look of emotional pain.

“Now that is a long story.” Though he was a bit annoyed he wasn’t getting any answers, he had to remember the only human he’d been in face contact with was Morgan and he’d only ever met Dumbledore once.

“You should have been free to walk right in the cabin, but yet you continue asking for permission.” Molly stated. Her wand had not fallen from him yet. She knew who, or rather what, Gregory Cezar was. And his smile seemed, not evil or malicious, but a look of relief.

“You’re half right,”

“So, you are a Vampire,”

Draco’s shock grew, there was no way he was going to let that being into the cabin, not with kids in the Cabin, “What! No, he is not coming in here then -” 

“Hush Draco.”

“Immortal, cursed, unique. I’m a very rare vampire, the last of my kind. Cezar was my grandfather’s name. I am from the De’Vera bloodline.” Gregory explained, and from Molly’s confused expression he knew she had no idea of the line’s history.

_‘Go figure, that bastard likely made sure we never saw the light of the moon’s knowledge ever again. Salazar you were one nasty creature.’_

With a deep sigh, Gregory knew there was no way into the home without explaining, at least a little. “The De’Vera bloodline is a line of very rare and unique vampire clan. We can have children with one another and, surprisingly, with humans. One of my ancestors was cursed by a Witch, but the twist is that he had once been with her, he supposedly betrayed this Witch with another woman. The woman became pregnant, and the Witch later took the pregnant woman and the child. Then, to everyone’s later horror, proceeded to butcher her and the newborn baby, placing a curse upon the De’Vera clan to live eternally. The downfall of that, she too would remain eternally immortal. Our deep sapphire eyes are part of this curse. Many years moved forward and many years after I was born, I met Helena and we had a child, never had the chance to marry though. She was murdered and then I killed the wizard who killed her. Knowing I couldn’t exactly care for our son I sent him to his grandmother, along with her Tiara. However, I found she too had died. However, Godric and Helga had said they would gladly look after him, that I could see him anytime I wished too. And I did.” Gregory sighed with a bit of a heavy breath as he explained a very long story into a short version. Really, there were so many complications with his family history it was insane.

“There’s more to that I’m assuming,” Sirius spoke up from behind Gregory and the vampire began to laugh with a smile as he turned to the man, “You, sir, are the first in six-thousand years that has managed to sneak up behind me. Please, a name.” Gregory was actually excited, these people, besides Morgan and Dumbledore, were the first people he had been face to face with to encounter since his son and the last of the founders of Hogwarts, who had become very dear friends. His heart still broke at the thought of their loss, but mostly of the loss of Helena.

“Sirius Black, I must say Gregory that your tale is rather a heart breaking one. However, you have more to that.” He said accusingly.

“Really Sirius, to think you would learn when enough was enough.” Emma snapped with a tired and rather irritated sigh.

Taking a controlled breath, Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose and did his best not to grumble. “Oh please, you’re not still upset over that, that… Death Eater!” Sirius sighed with obvious irritation, a wave of a hand towards her, trying to wave her off. He’d soon regret his decision.

“He was the **only** link we had to finding our son and the others!" Emma screamed at him, turning on the balls of her heels. Her anger and fear, the tears in her deep green eyes had caused not only Sirius to step back off the front porch, but Gregory along with him in shock, he would be a liar if he said he wasn’t scared.

Sirius had recovered rather fast, seething in his own anger and marched to his equally seething wife, “I know, Emma! He’s my son too! How do you think I feel? Knowing that Harry and the other two are out there on their own running for their very lives with no help!”

“Yes, I have an idea! However, we can’t help them, if we can’t even help our eldest child how are we even going to protect the others!” Emma cried, and Sirius began to understand, her fear was around the safety of her children; adopted, born and unborn. Taking a deep breath, Sirius calmed himself as much as he could and with a sigh wrapped his arms around her, “It’ll be alright Love.”

“Mummy?” 

“Daddy home?” the tired twins mumbled behind them, both holding onto one another’s hand and their own stuffed animal tucked tightly to their chests.

Emma and Sirius had both looked towards the two small children, both only two years old and in their Pajamas. The parent’s hearts fell. Emma’s tears slipping down her face, terrified she’d lose more than just her family to this war, “Oh my babies,” Emma whispered softly and swept up the toddlers as they both latched onto her. Lilian had moved from her mother’s arms and reached out for Sirius, who smiled big and gladly took his daughter into his arms and held her close, “It’s late Emma,” 

“I know, I know, I’m sorry I’m just exhausted, scared and-” Sirius smiled softly to her and kissed her forehead, wrapping an arm around Emma and Orion, holding them to him, “I know, it’s alright.”

Draco and Molly took a breath of relief, realizing that the couple wouldn’t be arguing, “Gregory, why don’t you come in.” Molly called out for him.

He hadn’t moved, not once after backing away from Emma’s reaction from her husband. He was stunned any woman could pull fear from him. Gregory had learned fast that Emma and Molly were two women, two mothers, you didn’t want to mess with.

_‘I think I just found equals to Helena’s and Godric’s wrath.’_

“Gregory are you in or out for the night?” Draco laughed to the paling vampire, who was already pale enough, “Uh, in, definitely in.” Gregory sputtered walking up and into the Cabin, “This is a beautiful home.”

Smiling with a proud and thankful blush Molly sighed happily, “Thank you,”

But their troubles, even with plenty already, had yet to surface. Nothing was over. In fact, it was just beginning.

* * *

**Hogwarts**

**November 28** ** th ** **, 1997**

Luna sighed as she laid back in the hammock next to Lavender and Ginny staring into the blue studded Ravenclaw ring.

“Luna? What’s that around your neck?” Lavender asked curiously drawing Cho’s and Ginny’s attention.

“That’s a very beautiful ring Luna,” Ginny said with a smile, “Who gave it to you?”

The question made the girl smile, “A friend, it’s not mine I’m just keeping it safe until I can give it back.”

_‘If I can just find you Licia… Where are you?’_

**_ “It’s not safe! Break the connection! Luna, RUN!” _ **

“There she is! Grab the girl!” A stern and laughing voice shouted across the room, Death Eaters had stormed the room where the students had held themselves in. Luna’s fear had jumped high when she heard Alicia shout to break a connection through her mind. She hadn’t even known she had made a connection through the ring, and that had been her unknown mistake.

_‘The ring!’_

And to her shock, Ginny, Cho and Lavender had stood, raising their wands and began sending curses and charms at the unwelcome visitors.

Cho looked over her shoulder to Luna’s wide eyes of shock, they were apparently after Luna. But if they could just slow them down to help Luna hide, then it would be worth standing against them. “Run Luna!”

Neville rushed to her side, grabbing ahold of Luna’s hand with a vise like grip, pulling her towards a hidden door Snape had yet to find and have closed, “Go!”

* * *

**Malfoy Manor**

Voldemort had figured out how Alicia had gotten the ring out of the Manor and had taken to forcefully connecting their minds for any form of alert to the Ring’s whereabouts. He was about to discover where she had hidden it with great glee. After months of trying to break her, he had figured out how to find it, the ring had a blood connection to the Ravenclaw bloodline, and Alicia was the last living, flesh and blood, descendant of said bloodline. His laughter rang through the Manor leaving Alicia in a balling mess in her room, her best friend was now in danger. She threw anything she could at the windows and door trying to break through the barrier she was being locked away with. Her fear and adrenaline racing with terror and terrible flashes of what they could, or would, possibly do to the poor Ravenclaw girl, but her attempts continued ending in failure. She was trapped and helpless to help her friend, “LUNA!”


	45. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 45 **

* * *

**November 30th, 1997**

"WHERE'S THE RING!"

They could hear his shouts from the dungeons. Luna hadn't made a peep since she had been there, and that terrified Narcissa.

Alicia was still locked in her room and she had no idea Luna was still alive.

_'This is all my fault. I left the girl alone and she was beaten. Now there's another child in danger.'_ Her heart broke at the thought of another child being taken from their parents, a single parent no less.

The shouts had lasted another hour and Luna had finally broke. She had finally screamed painfully from the interrogations, then he'd left after he continued to fail in getting anything from her, "Call for me if you find anything!"

Luna had been left in the dark dungeons with Mr. Ollivander to comfort her after her torture. "It'll be alright." He told her weakly. Trying his best to comfort Luna’s pain.

* * *

**Weasley's Cabin**

"What do you mean, Luna's gone!" Draco demanded, his anger and fear rising. First his best friends and brother disapparate and now on the run for their lives to find the Horcruxes, then Alicia is snatched, he and Morgan were nearly killed, now Luna is missing? Snatched, from the sound of the letter.

"She's gone, exactly what Ginny's letter says, what else do you want me to tell you Draco?" Tonks said sternly, everyone was rising on nerves, the shields Emma had put in place had been not only damaged but nearly fully destroyed when the Death Eaters attacked, she was still, months later, repairing and adding more. And since Gregory's arrival, he'd offered suggestions and helped with gathering information and more.

Gregory and Morgan had Apparrated outside of the cabin, both looking rather bothered about something as they walked in. "Malfoy Manor," Morgan spoke up, suddenly interrupting Tonks and Draco's argument. His random interruption had stopped whatever argument was happening, drawing everyone's attention.

Tonks and Draco shared a look of confusion, they were lost, they all were.

"What about Malfoy Manor?" Remus questioned the boy, standing from his chair with a sigh and rubbing the irritation and tiredness from his pale face.

"Luna and Alicia are in Malfoy Manor, they have Luna somewhere separated from Alicia. From the looks of it she has no idea Luna's even alive." Morgan sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Alicia is upstairs next door to Finn's room, locked in by a charm." Gregory spoke up, finishing for Morgan.

Draco's face scrunched in realization, he knew exactly where she was, and exactly how to get her out, "That's my old room." he clarified, "And I think I know how to get her out."

"How?" Sirius questioned the boy who was just previously arguing with his cousin. He honestly was confused, how were they going to get in, get the charm down and out without drawing attention or setting off an alarm then get to Luna? However, Draco's grin and silent laughter only confused them more, "Finn's going to do it. It'll take a while though. Did you see who took the charm down and put it back up?" He asked moving to Molly's potions ingredients cabinet and began looking for a few things.

"Actually, it was Finn." Morgan and Gregory shared a confused and curious expression, their curiosity had only grown when Draco began laughing a bit more.

"Even more perfect, use _Imperio_ on him. Disarming him first then use a _Muffliato_ charm to silence him, body bind and use the curse on the prat, if the curse doesn't work then just knock him out and stuff him in the nearest linen closet. Once this potion is finished all you have to do is fling the Potion across the door and the Lock Charm will disintegrate. Then, you can get her out of there. Whatever you do, do **not** touch the door with that charm up. The Malfoy family has a specific Lock charm we use when we want to keep something very safe guarded and locked away, you touch that charm, and the entire house with light up and locks down and whatever part touches that charm is burned off."

"And how long to make this Potion of yours?" Gregory asked, his brow raising as he watched Draco pulled out a dragon's tooth from the cabinet and he'd completely brushed off the Vampire's question, "Gregory, you said your family was cursed right?"

"Yes, but with complete immortality, why?"

"But your bloodline is cursed, meaning your blood used in any potion would be potent enough for something deadly or healing?"

"It can be used in both, depending on how you intend to use it, why?" Now they were very confused, even more so when Draco grabbed a large vile and a sharp kitchen knife, "Come here,"

Seeing the knife, Gregory slowly raised his hands and backed away a few steps, he may not be able to be killed but he hated having a knife pointed at him. Especially, since the last time it happened his soon to be wife was murdered and he had gotten impaled before he could kill the man that had done the deed. "What are you planning to use my blood for?" He had a right to know, it was his blood after all, but his eyes hadn't left the knife. He really hated knives.

"The potion takes a full two minutes or more to kill the charm. Your blood is not only cursed, but very strong depending on how you mix the potion," Draco explained.

Sirius sand Gregory smiled with wide grins, "You want to use his blood in the potion to kill the charm instantly."

"Exactly, the faster we get that charm down, the faster we can all get out with no casualties or being caught ourselves."

Gregory was impressed with Draco, "Helena would have been proud to have known you kid, you got yourself a living blood bag… Just don't get used to it. Now, which arm do you want." He said with a grin after rolling up both his long-sleeved grey shirt he held his arms out to the blond who walked up to him.

Grabbed an arm, Draco took a breath before he cut into Gregory's skin and watched the dark blood slowly flow out and into the large vile, waiting for it to fill up then corked the vile closed with a sigh of relief that he hadn't vomited. "Thanks Gregory, um, sorry about taking your blood though." Draco sighed out. However, the second the Vampire swayed on his feet Draco, Remus and Sirius rushed him, catching him before he fell, helping him sit in a nearby chair. "Whoa, take it easy there pal." 

"You okay?"

"Molly, water." Remus called out, seeing the sweat forming on his brow.

Gregory had gratefully taken the cold glass of water with a thankful nod of his head, "Thank you." His voice was a whisper and he wasn't looking so good.

Molly nodded to him with a soft smile, he seemed he hadn't had much contact with many humans over the many years besides a few, the big group of the Order must be making him crave what he really wanted, "You need rest, come on, let's get him to a room." With that said and done, there was no point in Gregory arguing, there would have been no reason too, he was tired, and the blood loss he'd willingly gave up to Draco had surprisingly taken him for a spin. He wasn't used to losing blood, even a little like he had. He was a fast healer by nature, of course, but he hadn't lost any amount of blood since he and Helena had made that potion to try turning him mortal, or her immortal. One they never had the chance to do.

"How long will that potion take to make?" Tonks asked him curiously, and she hoped it wouldn't be long, "Well, with it unmodified, two weeks, but with me messing with it it's unpredictable so I'd have to make the potion and test it, but that charm has been on her door for months, it may not be easy for it to just fall out of use."

"So, it is possible the curse, and the strength of it that had been placed on their bloodline for thousands of years could really make a very big difference in breaking down the charm." She was quickly catching on, even if it had already been a previous conversation she wanted to understand more, but since Draco had never used this kind of mixture or magic, he was unsure of the outcome. He wanted to make the potion stronger to break the charm faster, but the downfall to him messing with it was how long it would take it to be ready, and the blood added would make it even more tricky.

"You'll have to add it in last won't you." It was not a question, Dora had caught his sigh and the worry on his face.

"It may do the opposite, that's why I need to test it, but it'll take two weeks just to do the potion properly, then comes the tricky part."

Emma had sighed walking in, she knew Alicia's safety was imperative, but they had to test the potion and they may not have the time to spare for that, "Well, then show us what to do Draco,"

"Okay, well let me write down the rest of the needed ingredients and you can get them, I need to place the charm around something and then we can get started, the longer the charm sets, the stronger it'll get to set into place, then we can try it out. I'll set up two or three of the lock charms, I just need a few objects that aren't very valuable or important in case it blows back in our face. Don't need anything important to get blown up, now do we."

"No, no we do not, however there's been a lot of important losses lately, I think we've sadly gotten used to expecting something like that to happen." Tonks stated dryly.

Emma nodded with a sigh of agreement. "Yeah, you’re telling me. How are you feeling Dora?" Emma's question had made her smile as she rubbed her belly a bit.

Smiling with large excitement, Dora blushed at feeling the baby stir just a little. "I feel fine Auntie, how about you?" Both women smiled wide happily as they wrapped an arm around one another. Dora was excited, only three months pregnant and she couldn't wait any longer, she wanted to be able to hold her child, then again, she figured every expecting mother felt that way. Smiling down to Emma's own grown belly she placed a gentle hand to the side and giggled at feeling the baby kick just a little. She was six months, due in March. "Do you know if it's a boy or girl?" Dora asked with excitement, her and Remus were once again being named the godparents.

Emma smiled with a few giggles here and there, placing her own hand over a spot and felt the baby move as it stretched out making the two women laugh a little, Emma had to be careful at some point, simply because sometimes it would hurt when the baby moved. "Don't know, but we know we have names picked out already, we're still trying to get down to one name per gender. What name have you picked out for your baby?" Emma was curious, both expecting mothers were.

Dora smiled with a blush as the two of them took Draco's list and walked out to find the rest of the ingredients, "Well, if it's a girl we came to the conclusion of Dromeda Rose or Edward Remus for a boy." Both giggled and laughed but they were stopped when Remus rushed out with cloaks in his hands, "Dora! Fox! Your cloaks. You can't go out without your cloaks, you two could catch your deaths in this cold weather." He said wrapping each one around the women and kissed his wife then kissed Emma's forehead, "Be safe."

"We will Remus, promise." Emma smiled, "That's what I'm worried about, every time you say that something happens." Remus said with sarcasm, "Anyways Sirius and I are going to check Grimmuald Place and the Potter Estate for any sign of the group."

"Remus, those are the only two places they know where they can go. They likely won't stay in either place very long, Snape knows exactly where they'd go. They were his students after all." Dora clarified with worry.

"Don't panic, they're smart kids, they're safe… Trust me. Now go, we need Draco to get that potion started." He told the woman with a soft sigh. Though he knew they were all worrying.

* * *

**Malfoy Manor**

Finn pulled Alicia from her room, her long sleeved, knee length black dyed empire waist dress flying out behind her as the boy continued to jerk her around, "Come on!"

"What are you doing? Let me go! Finn, please-"

"Shut up!" He roared into her face stealing Alicia in her steps from fright, "Please, ju-just do as your told." He breathed softly, he used to look as if he enjoyed every second of this, now he just looked terrified.

"Killing Draco didn't feel as glorious as you thought it would, did it Finn." Alicia finally said it, she had called him out on something he had been having nightmares since the wedding.

He had taken her by surprise when his grip had tightened and tossed her through a nearby door, slamming it closed behind him with a click of the lock. Yet the look he wore as he turned to her was heart stopping.

A look of dread, self-loathing and emotional disaster.

"She used _Impero_ , I couldn't… I didn't want to kill him, I'm a physical person, yes, a bit crazy… Okay fine, a lot of crazy, but I… I never wanted to murder my own cousin." He had looked as if he were close to crying, but she wasn't sure if he was playing her. The only way to be sure was to keep herself a bit closed off, to protect herself. The only one she knew she could trust in that Manor at the time being was Narcissa Malfoy.

"The nightmares won't stop, I can't-" He sputtered, tears rolling down his face as he slipped down to the floor in tears.

Alicia had no words as she watched him. His head hung low and shoulders shook, she could visibly see the tears falling to the marble floors. Alicia had truthfully believed Finn done it all on his own will, even now it was hard for her to believe him. Then again, the group he was involved with she wouldn't have put it past any of them. On shaking legs, Alicia slowly walked to him and knelt in front of the crying boy, "Who used _Impero_ on you?" She let him cry for what felt like an hour before he choked out an answer, one that nearly stopped her heart. "B-Bellatrix." She knew Lestrange was like the mother he'd had from his biological mother, but the fact she would do such a thing to someone who not only looked at her like a mother, but had called her mother as well, she wanted to let her heart shatter for him. But after everything he'd done in the past was hard for her to feel sympathy for him.

"I did everything they asked of me, gave them my sanity, my friends, my school. My life… And now I've got nothing. I am nothing... I killed my own flesh and blood."

"No, no… It may have been your hands, but it was not you, not your will. If she used that curse it was not you." Alicia was terrified he'd kill himself if he continued on his current path. The pain he held. Finn was opening up his pain to someone who was supposed to be his enemy. Her fear had doubled when he pulled a bloody knife from his pocket and slipped it into her hands, "Hide it, quickly." He sniffed wiping his eyes clean and composing himself as much as he could.

Alicia had stared in shock between the dagger and Finn, wondering what he was planning, "This is-" she didn't have the stomach, nor the courage to finish her words, but Finn's simple nod had confirmed the dagger's identity.

"The knife that killed Draco, yes. Now hide it."

He'd waited until she'd slipped the dagger down the front of her dress between her breasts, and it took everything he had not to watch with a blush. "Okay, when we get near them, I'll jerk you a bit and you start fighting me. This way if they ask why I was crying I can say you got me a good one and I had to rush after you and find you. Hopefully, he doesn't decide to kill me. Okay?"

"Finn, what are you doing? Better question, why?" The two stared at one another, just for a moment, he truly had no answer. Clearing his mind Finn sighed and unlocked the doors, grabbed her by her arm once again and walked her out.

"I don't know. I guess I am more like Bellatrix than I thought." He whispered softly, making his way down the corridors, Alicia's arm firmly in his hold.

She was now confused.

_'How is he like Bellatrix in any way? Maybe he's bipolar? I hope not, if so, this involvement with this group is definitely not healthy for him.'_ "What do you mean?"

Now he had an answer to that. He had overheard many things since being in Malfoy Manor, namely the Journals he had found; Narcissa and Bellatrix. Both had written about Bellatrix's failure to harm or allow any harm to come to Emma Evans. "She could never hurt Professor Fox. Not even when Professor Blue was killed by Bellatrix. Lestrange couldn't hurt her, but I'm sure Emma would have killed Bellatrix eventually." Finn informed her softly with a matter-of-fact tone.

She was shaken from her thoughts when Finn began jerking her and their previous conversation came to her. Alicia began fighting back and had managed to turn to face him, their scuffle had drawn attention from the Death Eaters and Voldemort in the room that Alicia was being escorted into. Snape being there had taken in the pleasure of seeing not only Alicia alive but actually managing to hurt Finn a bit by stomping his toes and trying to hit him. It took Severus everything he had to not laugh.

Alicia had been flung around, facing the large gathering in the large Dining room, her eyes landing on a shivering and terrified Luna, seeing her friend alive made the redhead smile with fresh tears swelling in her deep sapphire blue eyes. She began to fight harder, managing to reface Finn and whispered a soft, "Sorry," this had confused the boy distracting him for just enough time for her to slam her foot forcefully onto his, causing the boy to shout in real pain and bent a little. But, to his and many other males' horror, Alicia's knee came up into his groin and he instantly let her go, grabbing himself and trying to catch what breath he had left as he fell onto his side, a groan slipping from him as he watched with watering eyes as she ran for the blonde Ravenclaw who had fought off her own captures from her and ran for her friend. Both girls had latched onto one another seconds later.

"You're alive!" Alicia cried with a little bit of laughter as she looked Luna over and pulled her back into a hug, they both began to cry. But their relieved tears weren't to last.

"Well, it seems we now have more of a weakness to use here. Wouldn't you all agree?" His voice sent shivering chills through them.

Alicia and Luna's hold around one another had tightened, but Alicia was not going to back down from him, there was no way she was going to let him near Luna, she didn't even sound like herself when she spoke, a stern glare set on her face. "Go to Hell," her voice was soft yet stern, like her eyes, the room had been so silent a pin could be heard dropping, as well as it’s echo.

Voldemort couldn't help but chuckle, "Well, well, well, feisty, aren't we?" He joked back, a sadistic grin growing with ideas, "I think I'll enjoy this."

Snape's previous grin from watching Finn getting his nuts swallowed back up into is stomach had vanished, now overtaken with fear as he watched the two girls that used to be his students. He feared for them, he feared for all of them, but he was being watched, and he couldn't help anyone, he couldn't even try to figure out how to get in contact with the Order, to talk to them, but he knew they wouldn't listen to him. They wouldn't hear reason and he understood why.

"Let's have a talk, shall we?" Voldemort said, his grin growing as he looked between the two girls.

* * *

**Weasley Cabin**

Sirius yawned, he hadn't slept yet, the twin's continued waking up screaming, Lilian had taken to Gregory, it was his eyes she liked truthfully, and he and Emma appreciated the help he gave, he was shockingly amazing with kids for not being around them since his son, as well as having his own children. "How's the potion coming along?" Sirius asked patting Draco's back who yawned in return to his answer, "Okay so far, but it's taking longer than I thought. Emma passed out on the couch." 

"I know, I took her up to bed already. You alright?"

"I'm scared, Sirius. My mother is still in that Manor, who knows if they put her under a curse yet, I can't lose my mum, Sirius. I know I have you and Emma and Harry, the twins call me ' _Bubby'_ already." He laughed out with a short smile, but it soon fell, "But I just can't lose her, she's gone through so much." The poor boy sat in a chair, tears he had been fighting back for months, years even, fell from his pale blue eyes and began to silently cry. He'd held back a lot for quite some time, his hold was bound to shatter at some point.

Sirius watched with a heavy heart as he placed a hand to his shoulder and gently squeezed, hoping the gesture would give him some comfort, "I wish I could tell you I know how you feel but I don't Draco… But I do know that you are a smart young man, your mother would be proud no matter what happens. Whether we win or lose. And so am I, and Emma. We're proud of you Draco." Sirius had managed to create more tears in the blond, but he'd brought his own hand up and grabbed ahold of Sirius's hand upon his shoulder. A bond that was created between the two. Because by Narcissa's request as of 1994, Emma and Sirius had adopted Draco Lucius Malfoy. "So, you and Emma really adopted me then? Before our fifth year?"

Sirius smiled and nodded to the memory, "Yes… we signed the papers that night."

"You know, all I ever wanted was a father that would love me for being who I was, like my mother did-" 

"Does, like your mother does," Sirius corrected, pulled a chair for himself to sit next to him. His interruption had made Draco smile for a moment. "But all I wanted was a father that would love me, protect me, and treat me like a son."

"Draco, your father loves you. He's just scared of that thing that's over lived his time, Salazar Slytherin at least gave his time, he didn't fight death, but he passed his problems and hate down his line. You are nothing like your father, Draco. You're a brave young man, you're smart, you don't allow anyone to bully you into terror. You stand for your beliefs, for your family and friends."

The speech was actually making him feel better, "So, I'm like you then?"

Sirius smiled, letting out a breath but shook his head, he knew Draco was nothing like him, in fact, Draco was someone Sirius felt he should have been, but maybe Sirius had had his life the way it was, to be there for this generation. For Harry, for Draco, for his and Emma's children. "No… No, Draco, you're better than who I was at your age, better than who I am even now. But your father does love you, no matter what he's done, Lucius Malfoy loves you. Emma and I love you, your mother loves you. You're not alone Draco, all you have to do is ask."

Draco was nearly back to crying, this was who his father should have been, no matter how much Sirius continued saying Draco was a better person than he was, Draco saw a father in Sirius, "Can I really be your son?" he choked out, that was really all he'd ever wanted, a father.

To his question Sirius couldn't help but smile with some laughter, "I thought you already were."

Both smiled with some laughter, Draco crying little happy tears as the two shared a father and son hug, "Come on, you need sleep. The Potion will still be here when you wake up." Sirius said with no room for argument, and he was glad he got none as the two walked up to the rooms towards Draco's door, "Sleep, otherwise Emma will have my head, goodnight kiddo."

"Night, dad." Draco had smiled when he said it, he'd actually had a happy time saying _dad_ to Sirius. But it didn't stop the small sting he felt that it wasn't his actual father.

Sirius had smiled softly when he heard Draco call him 'dad' and he felt a sudden swarm of happiness. However, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed in Lucius. He had never seemed the type to let his family go the way it had, yet Voldemort was a crazy lunatic and very sadistic, not to mention terrifying. And for once in a while that he could remember, Sirius Black felt terrible for Lucius. "Goodnight, son."

Draco had gone to bed late that night, almost midnight, feeling a little better, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of fear and worry for his mother and the Trio group currently on the run.

And his nightmares began. He had overheard Sirius telling Emma and Molly that they had been to both places yet had left a few things there, like they were jumping from place to place and not staying long, however Grimmuald place had been seen with Death Eaters searching the place and being put on 24/7 guard in case they had gone back. Apparently, the rumors had been true, the Ministry had been infiltrated by someone and it had been the trio, and they seemed to have gotten away with something Umbridge had personally had on her person. A necklace, and from the description it had been Salazar Slytherin's locket. The real one. One of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Now all they had to do was figure out how to destroy it.

_'Please be safe,'_


	46. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 46 **

* * *

**December 29th, 1998**

Christmas had come and gone, and the Order was still out of contact from the three kids on the run.

Emma was growing depressed, and her pregnancy was becoming complicated, painfully complicated.

Sirius had kept near by his wife in fear she would miscarry or go into premature labor. He was terrified. "Emma, you can't let this keep getting to you," Sirius softly whispered, sitting next to his silently crying wife.

Emma was staring into the fireplace. Her cup of tea long ago cold for the chilling December weather. But she was hearing nothing of it as her eyes refilled with tears and began crying all over again. "Sirius, I promised them that I would look after Harry. I swore at their graves, I swore to Hermione's parents I'd keep her safe before she wiped their memories weeks later, I swore to Narcissa I'd protect Draco. And one was nearly gutted by his own cousin. Harry, Ron and Hermione are on the run for their lives and I am stuck here not able to do what I promised I'd do. Our son, our nephew, that beautiful girl, are all alone out there, and we can't even find them…" She cried, the teacup spilling over and clattering to the hardwood floors drawing a worried Tonks, Molly and the twins, who stood there sharing a concerned expression. Emma had finally broken. She’d had enough and held in enough.

Molly held a hand to her mouth with worry and moved over to the crying woman now held in her husband's arms attempting to comfort the crying and very pregnant Witch, "Emma,"

Tonks was worried her aunt would break her water from her constant tears and depression, Dora walked back into the kitchen and began getting more tea for the crying woman. She was glad the tea kettle had already been heated up previously just two minutes before, hoping the Chamomile and Lavender tea would help the crying redhead to relax a little.

Sitting beside the curled-up woman on the couch she went ahead and handed Emma the warm teacup, "Auntie?" Dora was relieved when Emma took the teacup thankfully and sipped the herbal mix and seemed to relax just a bit. "What's wrong Auntie?" From the emotional roller coaster that she had watched Emma go through the first pregnancy, she noticed months previously that Emma was definitely going through a worse one this time around. Dora hoped, prayed, that she herself didn't go through the same crazy emotions. But she couldn't be certain, she had noticed that she herself had been feeling rather moody lately, and Nymphadora Lupin hated being moody.

Her silence had been concerning, her very fallen face had broke their hearts. The twins had spoken up that they'd stay with her and took over in Sirius's place, curling up with their Aunt near the fireplace and would occasionally crack a few jokes for their upset Aunt, they had been overjoyed when they had made her smile and managed to pull a giggle from her.

Sirius had excused himself to the kitchen to speak with Molly and Tonks, all clearly worried, "What's going on? She could put herself into premature labor, and if you haven't noticed there is a blizzard out there right now. We have no way to get her to a hospital, let alone for a doctor to come here." Molly whispered between the three with fright for the woman.

Sirius sighed, waving the two women to try to keep their voices down and gave his cousin a look of no when she opened her mouth to argue with him, "I know, I know. Dora, look you and Emma are both pregnant, but Emma is close to the final stages and she's panicking over Ron, Harry and Hermione and Draco and Narcissa. She's blaming herself but she's not understanding that what happened was not her fault, it wasn't any of ours -"

"It's mine and Hermione's." Draco sighed out, walking inside with Remus carrying firewood. His sudden confession confused them, "No, Draco, it's not your fault at all-" 

"Finn got in by taking on Cedric Diggory and bringing the Diggory's wedding invitation to get through the shields that were up. He was the insider that helped the Death Eaters get in. He used Marlene as a hostage against me and Hermione, we had to stick together and in his line of sight, if we tried anything, he'd have either killed her or taken her and handed her over to Voldemort. We were trying to figure out how to warn everyone, but by the time everything unfolded it was too late." Draco confessed with a heavy sigh of disappointment.

The three adults stared at the poor seventeen-year-old boy, this was the first time he’d even spoke of it to anyone, "Draco, you were trying to keep him from taking Mars, there was nothing you could have done. It's not your fault." Tonks said sympathetically.

Remus patted Draco after setting the firewood down on the shelves and squeezed his shoulder, "Draco, it's not your fault, and it's not Hermione's fault. You both did what any of us would have done, and that was following rules of an enemy to keep a child alive, and you both succeeded. Gabrielle would have greatly loved what you and Hermione both did for her child." Remus smiled softly to the down feeling young man. Remus knew his and the others little speech had helped him remove some guilt of what had happened at the wedding, but as they spoke his ears had picked up the little pitter patters of tiny feet and little whimpering sniffs here and there as a child came down the steps in her long-sleeved winter nightgown holding a red, gold, green and silver patch work teddy bear Gabrielle had made for the girl before she had been born. But her three-year-old chubby cheeks where streaming with tears, her blue eyes puffy from crying and hiccupping as Marlene trotted into the kitchen.

Molly moved around Tonks and Sirius, making her way to the crying child, "Mars," she was stopped when Marlene moved around Molly's attempt to pick her up and trotted over to Draco, latching onto his legs.

Getting the hint, Draco sighed softly and picked the child up to comfort her tears, he knew exactly why she was crying, "Nightmare again?" Draco asked softly, bouncing the little girl in his arms as she went on ahead and continued her little whimpers into his sweatshirt with a small nod.

Marlene sniffed a few more times, wiping her face with the back of her hands, she was not only scared from the nightmares, but she was tired. It was almost midnight, but her sudden question regarding a certain person who hadn't returned for the holiday's yet, "Gin?"

"Ginny is still at school with your brother and sister." Draco informed her drawing a tired whine from the three-year-old and placed her head back to his shoulder, "Come on, you can sleep in Ginny's room. How does that sound?" but little Marlene shook her head ‘no’ rather upset.

The scene was sad but was kind of adorable at the same time as they watched.

"Well, then I need to figure out where you're going to sleep then. I know once you're up and out of your own bed you won't go back in there, will ya?" Draco asked, a small smile gracing his face trying to get the grumpy three-year-old to answer him as she shook her head, "Well, then how about Emma and Sirius?" once again Marlene shook her head, "how about the twins- wait, never mind, they toss and turn and one of you three would be knocked out of bed, how about Dora and Remus…. Hm, that sound good?" but again she shook her head, "Fine, wanna sleep in 'Mione's room? Ron's? No? Maybe Harry's? No? Mine? No? Then where Mars? You have to sleep somewhere… How about Molly and Arthur?"

Marlene seemed to be growing irritated and started to slightly fuss a bit, constantly shaking her head, until finally giving a huff with an answer, "'Mione," she whined leaving Draco grinning and took the fussing toddler up to Hermione's room where she proceeded to scavenge around and found a T-shirt she had changed into and crawled into the bed. The moment Marlene had covered up she had yawned and fallen asleep instantly.

Leaving one of Hermione's small lamps on for her for a night light, Draco left and back downstairs.

As the nights’ drew on, Marlene had traveled around to each room of the missing kids and had kidnapped a shirt to use to sleep in for that night. They had found her even sleeping in between the couples, even in the twin's rooms, Draco's and then Gregory's, who hadn't minded the attention from a child one bit, especially after losing his son and their grandchildren. Marlene had taken to him rather fast after that, Gregory had felt like he was a father again in some since.

* * *

**January 1998**

Screams filed the Malfoy manor as Bellatrix screamed in pain, Narcissa and Finn had helped her sister to her bedroom to lay her down on. Bellatrix breathed as best she could as she held a protective hand to her swollen abdomen, "It hurts! Sissy it hurts!" she screamed. 

"Lucius! Call for him! She's in labor!" Narcissa shouted.

"Bu-but he's possible busy-"

Bellatrix stumbled as she reached the bedroom door, she hadn't even had the chance to eat breakfast that morning when she felt something strange, apparently, she had been having her contractions as she was in bed early that morning, thinking of them as just simple cramps. Her dark glare and pained screams were soon turned on her cowardly brother-in-law. Her patients with him had taken its toll on the wicked woman, but that morning she was to become a mother, and she wanted the father to be at least notified, "LUCIUS!"

Jumping from his terror Lucius took a few shaken breaths, "Alright!" He growled, trying to sound stern and in control, where he truly wasn't, and moved along, rolling his sleeve back and began to call for the Dark Lord.

It had only been ten minutes when a swirl of Dark smoke clouded the front foyer and bare feet slapped against the cold marble floors as Voldemort himself walked through the Manor, a grin wide across his face. He would soon have an heir to his soon throne to the Wizarding world. "Magnificent, where is she." Many times in his life, Voldemort felt happy, not regarding blood shed or power, but a sliver of hope of happiness.

"Bellatrix is in her chambers my Lord, Narcissa is helping her as we speak." But their excitement was short lived when another and horrifying scream tore through the halls of the Manor, "HELP! I NEED HELP!" Narcissa’s screams echoed through the Manor with horror as she screamed for aid.

Lucius had shared an equally worried look with his nephew. Voldemort himself didn't look remotely pleased, but rather disappointed.

Something had gone wrong in the Labor. But the words that left Voldemort's mouth left them all frozen in full disbelief, "Save the child if you can. If not, I'll try a different mate."

"But my lord, Bellatrix-" 

"I could care less regarding that woman, Lucius. She's bearing me a child, an heir for the realm I am creating. Though, I doubt with my immortality coming together very soon I doubt I'll even need an heir! Put her out of her misery if it carries on too long."

The two couldn't believe he had said it. Finn knew his uncle was to terrify to say anything to him, but Finn was not afraid to put the child's life before his very own. A form of redemption he thought may help himself after murdering Draco under _Imperio_. By his own Aunt, who had forced him to murder his own cousin. Blood that stained his hands and very soul. It had made his eyes open to the realization that he was in fact he was mentally in need of help and was a rather confused young boy who had been raised by lunatics. He’s also not only refused the help of Snape and his Aunt, who had shown desire to help him save the life he could have had, but had allowed his life to be self-manipulated and manipulated by others. "Alicia and Luna could help her, my Lord… For the child's sake at least."

Voldemort had taken a moment of thought, and grinned, "Fine, grab the two girls. However, Finn, I seem to have failed to have noticed your protectiveness of the child, rather than just your Aunt. I appreciate the loyalty you hold to my line… But I must say that you, my dear boy, shall be my heir instead." He said with a grin, leaving both Finn and Lucius in shock.

Now Finn was worried, after the blood of Draco being placed on his hands, Finn had become a bit protective of the child and extremely confused as to what he should do. But the first thought that came to his mind was of the hope to redeem himself. Alicia had been right, even if it hadn't been his will it was still him that had done the deed. And it had felt like he'd been torn apart.

Taking a deep breath to remain his composer, Finn nodded, agreeing to said terms for the time being, "And the child?"

With a simple wave of his hand, the Dark Wizard grinned, "A simple pleasure of me raising it. Or would you rather be called father?" Voldemort asked and laughing to the boy.

Finn tensed his body attempting to avoid giving away any form of physical irritation and fear. "Whichever you'd see fit, My Lord." Finn spoke softly, taking in a calming breath to remain himself as calm and neutral as he had previously been. Yet, he found it very difficult to keep his victory grin at bay, but had succeeded rather well, when he watched Voldemort's laughing grin vanish into full and very deep frown, "Then the child, if it survives, is yours."

"I assume, My Lord, that if the child turns out to be a son that you'd like to remain the father?"

"Why of course. However, if a daughter, she is, as I said before, all yours. Bellatrix will sign over the child legally once birthed."

Now that did bother Finn, "Why not allow Bellatrix to keep the child? Especially if you find her birthing ‘defaulting’." Finn questioned, for the first time in a while he felt sorry for Bellatrix, but it was a fair question, he was trying to not only stall his leaving but to get answers as well.

Voldemort grinned widely, glad the boy was asking questions to get his answers he thought he needed, though he hated being questioned. Yet Voldemort found himself unable to harm the boy himself, "Questions, questions, my dear boy, all answers shall be given in due time…" But with a sigh he caved in, "Fine, Bellatrix may keep the child, unless there seems to be loss of life regarding the woman, then the child shall move to your care. Lucius, have the paperwork drawn up … Think of it as a form of a Final Will."

But there was more Finn wanted answers too, however his uncle rushed him to it, "What about Rodulphus Lestrange?" Lucius asked, he was after all Bellatrix's husband.

Voldemort's stern glare directed to the elder Malfoy sent him shrinking, fearful he'd be reprimanded for questioning the Dark Wizard. It seemed he favored Finn, not that he obviously hadn't noticed that before.

"I do rather much care for the Lestrange family, always so loyal in the past, even now in the present. I'm sure he'd find it an honor his wife bore me a child. However, if the child comes to be a female, I have already given my blessing to Finn to raise her as he wishes. I'm sure Rodulphus will understand." He said nonchalantly, with no care in the world as to a stepfather being denied his rights to see or hold said child. But Finn would worry about that later.

"Well, go get the girls, unless you want the woman and the child to die today." Voldemort clarified, once again his tone was uncaring, "I'll be in the study on the third floor."

The birthing had been difficult, Bellatrix had become delusional during the time and had begun calling Alicia, “Emma,” or rather, "Cubby," and not seeing the point in arguing with the Witch currently in pain, Alicia had gone along with it.

"Mrs. Malfoy," Luna softly spoke to the terrified and shaking sister, she was trying to help Bellatrix as best she could, but they had no one of Healing abilities present, "The baby isn't turning." Luna whispered to the woman. Her fear had turned into panic as her sister continued to scream.

Alicia’s stomach lurched when she heard her friend, this was not something either girl wished to go through at such a young age, they were not practiced Midwives! "Then we have to turn it ourselves, my wand was destroyed, Luna's was taken. Narcissa, I'm going to need your -" 

"NO! No, don't leave me I-I'm sorry Cubby, I-I-" She hadn't had the energy to finish, she was exhausted, and her painful labor had lasted nearly six hours with nothing to help kill the pain,.

Narcissa’s panic had turned into terror when her sisters’ eyes closed with a tired huff. Bellatrix Lestrange had fainted. "Bella? Bellatrix!" Narcissa was in a panic rushing to her sisters' side, screaming for her to wake up.

Knowing the panic of her sister would do the woman, nor the child, any good, Alicia took familiarity to the woman, "Narcissa! You are doing her no good by panicking, I need you to make sure she still has a heartbeat while Luna and I get the baby out, if her heart stops beating use a charge from your wand to get her heart restarted and start C.P.R. Alright."

Narcissa was only able to nod as she took a shaking hand and was relieved when she found a small heartbeat. She had stared at her sister the entire time, whispering to her that she'd be alright. Narcissa hadn't realized how long she had been in her trance until she heard a baby's whaling cry filling the room and Luna and Alicia couldn't help but smile at one another, the baby had made it, and they felt no worry nor concern for the woman, the child had been their priority. "Luna, get the baby cleaned off and wrapped up, I'll work on the rest here," Alicia said handing the baby to the smiling blonde girl, happy the child had made it clear as day, no damage done. Physically at least.

Alicia took a sigh, mentally asking for her friends' forgiveness for what she was about to do as she walked around to Narcissa, "Is her heart still beating?"

"Yes, b-but I don't know what to do, she's losing a lot of blood-"

"I have that covered, for now we need fresh sheets and a blanket, and clean clothes for her." And the two set to work. Narcissa rushed out to get everything for the bed, Luna cleaning up the baby and checking her over, while Alicia scolded herself as she began sealing up Bellatrix's bleeding tares from giving birth and cleaning her up.

"What do I do with the baby 'Licia?" Luna asked, holding the now warmly wrapped baby girl close as she slept. "For now, we wait until Narcissa comes back, give her the baby and you and I will do the rest here. Lestrange is completely unconscious, the birthing took a lot out of her and I doubt she'll be awake any time soon… Luna, we saved the child, he won't hurt us now, if we save Bellatrix, I doubt he'll kill us."

The doors had opened with a bang causing the baby to stir and whimper just a little as well as startling the girls. However, Luna had quickly pulled her attention back to the whimpering baby, shushing and cooed the baby girl back to sleep with easy.

"You're right, he won't. He may be heartless, but he wanted the child saved before her, if you keep her alive, I'll not only be grateful but so will he." Narcissa said walking back in with a second hand, one that just so happened to be Finn, yet his eyes had moved over Bellatrix with a simple raise of the brow and the three saw the way his eyes lit up at the baby in Luna's arms, "It's a girl?"

"Yes, it’s a girl," Luna answered him, her voice still soft as normal but her eyes studied the boy in front of her, this was a different Finn Malfoy, one she knew hadn't been who he was before. Meaning something had to of happened.

Finn had felt a bolt of excitement, he had a deep feeling in his bones that Bellatrix wouldn't walk away from that war and he knew if that happened, he'd be granted the child’s caregiver. Voldemort had made clear he was not going to sign the birth record, if there even would be one but decided to keep his excitement to himself. "I'll give the Dark Lord the congratulations, may I?" he asked, setting the blanket aside and held his arms out for the child, he saw Luna's reluctance of handing her over and he was a bit annoyed. He had caught the nodding head of Alicia to Luna who had slowly moved and handed the baby girl over to him, "Has she a name yet?"

"No, but I believe everyone should wait until Bellatrix wakes up to name her daughter." Narcissa said a bit sternly, drawing Finn's attention, a look Luna and Alicia had caught. Narcissa had no idea he was teamed up with Alicia to get her and Luna out of there, and they wanted it to be kept that way.

* * *

Narcissa had to hold the child to her sister the next few days as she slept her exhaustion away for the child to feed, the baby hadn't wanted to take to a bottle, so she had no other way of feeding the baby.

The Dark Lord had held the child once, and only for a few minutes. As soon as the papers had been drawn up, via Lucius's aid, he had forged Bellatrix's signature, something Finn had been offended by. However, Narcissa hadn't tossed a fit like they all assumed she would.

Voldemort had named the child, Bellatrix hadn't had a single say in the matter from still being unconscious, and that too bothered Finn. The mother hadn't had the chance to hold, nor name, the baby she had wanted so direly to have before it had been signed away.

"And if something befalls me, My Lord? Where shall the child stay?" At Voldemort's shrug Finn felt a flood of panic for the child he currently had in his arms.

"Me," Narcissa piped up, sending a glare to her husband before he could refuse the suggestion, "Then please, sign here as second. Looks like you get to be the Godmother, Aunt Narcissa." She’d never known how grateful he was she had stepped forward.

"It is settled then." Voldemort said before he was gone in a void of smoke.

"I feel like a kidnapper," Finn voiced to his aunt.

"It’s not your fault, Finn. Lucius explained it to me the other night." She had been shocked she hadn't been offended for her sister in truth, but she had been watching him closely since he arrived in their home and had noticed a few things. He was different. Less Psychotic.

Voldemort had taken to his word, for once, and left Luna unharmed physically, and Alicia out of the room every day for a few hours. But the two girls were still restricted from seeing one another, to their disappointment. Not that it was kept too unless Voldemort himself was there, or Bellatrix awake and out and about, which hadn't yet happened.

* * *

**February 15th, 1998**

"How's the potion coming along?" Molly asked the tired Malfoy, rubbing his back as he wiped the sleep from his face and yawned, "So far, the potion has come along, but I've had to make a few changes to support the blood. It's getting there. However, I'm not sure if it'll be ready when we need it." Draco said tiredly, stirring the cauldron a few times then adding a few more things carefully, "Stand back Molly, this may get messy."

"And if it does?" She asked, concerned it may blow up in their faces, again, but the grin that grew on the boys face had made her smile, "Then I'll not only be restarting, I'll be fixing and cleaning up the kitchen for a few days." Taking a glance to the grinning woman he continued with a small laugh, "It stains,"

"Oh my, that is a mess to be avoided."

But their afternoon was about to get interesting as Remus kicked the door open, startling the two, and the herbs added had caused a small explosion startling the two even more, “Well, what would you know… The damned thing worked,” Draco mumbled to himself as he watched the potion turn a bright shade of purple.

"Molly! Molly quick, call for Poppy!" Remus shouted rushing in in a panic caring a pained looking Emma in his arms, blood had followed in with them, her water had broken but in a rather painful way, she was an entire month premature.

"Oh Lord, Remus what happened!" Molly demanded in a panic, following behind them up the stairs and into Emma's and Sirius's room.

"I don't know, I turned my back for a minute, next thing I realize she's on her knees in pain and bleeding!"

"Poppy is stuck at Hogwarts Remus, she can't come here, if she does, she'll lead them right to us and Emma's in labor, she's defenseless and we are down more than half our Members. We don't need a second attack like the wedding. Draco! Go boil water and get me lots of clean towels. Remus find the others, I'm going to need hands." Molly shouted commands, as the others rushed about while Molly moved to helping Emma out of her clothes and into a clean night dress, one they both knew they had gotten specifically for this.

Emma panted her breaths in and out painfully, it was difficult to focus on her breathing with the pain shooting through her, "Molly it hurts, w-why… Why do-does i-it h-hurt?" Emma cried, she didn't want to lay back, curling up was making the pain subside a bit.

"Emma, I need you to lay back." But Molly was having difficulty getting her to listen, the pain was so much for the Witch that she knew if she uncurled the pain would come full force and hurt even worse.

Emma shook her head as she groaned with a painful cry, "No… No, please, it hurts." Emma cried, she never felt this much pain in her body before, she didn't know what happened or why.

Molly grabbed ahold of Emma's arms, "Emma, look at me… Emma Rose look at me!" she said sternly. The firmness she had used she hadn't had to use in a very long time, but it had worked, bringing the redhead's deep emerald eyes to look up at the Weasley mother, "If you continue to curl up like this you will not be able to give birth, you'll either crush the baby or it'll die and the birthing will just become more painful, then you will die from the blood clots forming as we speak… You need to lay back..."

That had gotten through to Emma as she forced herself to uncoil and lay back, all the while crying and trying her best to not tense herself up.

Molly had gotten Emma in her position, taking a breath before she began to measure Emma, she had only heard of home births through her family's history and that of Arthur's. But she had never witnessed the occasion. "Now or never I suppose… Emma, did you have any pains last night or any time before that?" Molly asked the crying woman, her heart falling heavy when Emma nodded her answer.

"The last few weeks?" Emma grunted out, the pain had collided and knowing she was now unable to coil back up, Emma shoved the back of her head into the pillow and her hands gripping the sheets as tight as a snake's vise. “Okay fine! December!” Emma screamed admitting to her attempted lie, she knew the second she started having pains in the last month of ’97 that something could have gone wrong.

Her confession, however, had left Molly in shock and rather pissed at the birthing Witch, “What!”

Draco said rushing in with the items she had asked for, "Here Molly, boiled water and towels, Gregory is downstairs with the twins and the children, Tonks is-" 

"Is she alright! Oh my God! Emma -" Tonks gasped covering her mouth in fear as soon as she came bustling through the door to the room behind Draco.

"Right behind me," Draco finished, setting the towels in a chair and moved it next to the bed for Molly’s use while she attempted to coach Emma through some breathing exercises. Though, they were failing.

Remus moved in and hugged his wife close hiding her face into his chest, "Dora, you shouldn't watch this." Remus whispered gently into his wife's hair, both clinging to one another, terrified for Emma and the baby.

"No, I'm staying… I'm not leaving her," Dora cried, moving as bravely as she could to Molly, "What do you need Molly."

"I need Sirius, Tonks. He needs to be here for her. I don't know if this is going to go over well. I wish the kids were here, Hermione may have an idea how to help her." Molly said a bit teary-eyed.

Dora knew exactly how she felt, they were being forced to watch Emma go through pain she shouldn't have had to endure, no birthing mother should have too. But their hopes soared high when Sirius rushed in, "Emma! Molly what happened?"

"Enough talking! Get him out!" Emma screamed, she'd been laying there screaming and groaning in pain that the blood she was losing was not only drying to her, it was still flowing that she was becoming dizzy.

"I'm here Love… I'm here." Sirius shushed her gently. She was a month early and losing blood like it was nothing. And to make matters worse, with no healer on hand they all shared a sinking fear that she may not survive it.

"I wish Gabby or Minerva were here," Emma whimpered into Sirius's hand as he sat next to her and brushed his hand over her sweat soaked face.

"I know Fox." His heart shattered at watching her go through this kind of pain. Sirius knew child labor was never pleasant, obviously, but he didn’t know it could go this wrong.

"Remus, get Draco out of here," Dora said looking over her shoulder to the two fearful men as she helped Molly get Emma ready.

Nodding, Remus grabbed Draco, "Come on Draco. The kids will want some reassurance." Remus muttered softly and led the teary-eyed boy from the room, "She'll be alright…" Remus spoke to the petrified boy softly, helping him out of the room and closed the door. But the screams followed them down the stairs like they hadn't left the room.

And the ambush the two received from the twins was enough to send Draco's tears rolling down his face, "What happened?" 

"Is she okay?"

Draco couldn’t say the words as he choked on them. The sound and reaction to the situation sent terror through the adults in the room. Gregory had suggested the kids be taken outside to play so they couldn't hear Emma.

"There's a play area Mum had us set up for the kids before the wedding near the barn," George said with some stomach sinking worry, "We'll take them out." Fred finished, knowing they were not only older but also since they hadn't been around to witness what had happened, something that seemed to have snared Draco in a very emotional hold.

"Okay, don't tell them anything yet, we don't know what will happen." Remus whispered to the twins who nodded in understanding and took the kids out to play.

“But mummy," Lillian and Orion spoke up in unison, something they had captured from the Weasley twins as the older twins. 

Fred and George, smiled softly and as positively as they possibly could as they walked the all of the kids outside. "Let just go outside to play, how's that?" George asked gently and picked the two up making them nod, but their weak smile worried them while Fred gave Marlene a back ride making the little blond three-year-old giggle as they left the Cabin home.

* * *

"Shit, she's losing too much blood. Molly I- I don't know what to do."

Emma's screams had left her extremely exhausted, resulting in Sirius begging her to stay awake, "Emma?" heart shattering so, Sirius’s voice hadn’t reached her in time. It had no avail. Emma’s exhaustion had won over.

"Just breathe Dora, you're doing fine sweetie, but we need to get the baby out first. Once the child is out, apply pressure and seal up tares-" 

"Molly, I d-I don't know how to seal anything, I'm an Auror, not a Healer." Dora panicked out, she had no experience with healing and her mother was out of contact, this was something her mother would be able to do.

"It's okay, just breathe, Dora you need to breathe, alright… Emma, sweetheart, are you still awake?"

"Got it, the baby's out!" Dora shouted with relief as she wrapped the baby in a warm towel to clean him off, moving him over to a second basin of warm water to clean the child with a smile as Molly moved in Dora's place, sealing the wounds. "Another boy Sirius." Dora said, but there was some worry, the baby hadn’t cried as he’d come out. Looking over to Molly, Dora felt his tears burn her eyes, “Molly, he isn’t crying, is there something in his mouth?” she asked with worry.

Closing her eyes sadly, Molly looked over to Tonks, her eyes looking to the silent baby boy. Emma had been terribly injured by Bellatrix. And while she had been healed, she’d been in a coma for about a month. “Sirius, shine light into the baby’s mouth, see if there is anything there, if so, sweep it out, turn him on his belly over your forearm and gently pat his back to wake him up.” She ordered, finishing up with Emma’s bleeding tares. This had been a bad and very painful birthing. Emma could be lucky to ever have another child. sighing with exhaustion as she finished up, she rushed over to the baby in Tonks arms and Sirius shining a light to see if there was anything in the baby’s mouth, however, the poor child was still and nothing was the matter. Taking the baby, Molly tuned him over her forearm, his face in her palm and gently patted his back, thinking something could have been lodged in his throat. But nothing came out. It wasn’t soon later she realized the child was cold and there was no pulse through his chest. Pressing a few fingers to his feet she still felt nothing. This was not good. It appeared the child had been stillborn. Sniffing as she realized she could do nothing more, Molly gently wrapped the baby in the blanket sadly. “I am so sorry Sirius. He has no pulse.” Molly whispered weakly.

Sirius felt his heart hit his stomach as he looked at child and gently took the poor child from Molly’s arms. He could not imagine how Emma would feel about the lose of their son, because he felt devastated.

Sniffing back her tears, Molly nodded and gently grabbed Tonks arm, "She's lost a lot of blood, we need to watch her carefully for the next few weeks, the placenta still needs to come out, so we need to watch her very carefully, make sure it all comes out." To make the birthing aftermath more difficult for them all, Emma hadn’t stirred, nor woke up, not even a heartbeat was present to Tonks, something that sent the woman into a fearing panic, "Molly, she-she's not waking up," Dora whispered out, her voice full of dread, her tears had finally won over and rolled down her face, "She's not waking up! Emma?! No, you-you're not doing this, you're not- you can't-" 

"No, Tonks, come here, it'll be alright, it's alright." Sirius said holding back his choked voice as he wrapped an arm around his little cousin, moving her a bit away from Emma and to the door, he deceased son in his other arm as he walked her out.

"Why don't we go down stairs," Sirius was equally as scared and fearful, but Dora was still pregnant herself and they didn't need another child being premature, and with them having difficulties with getting access to the hospitals now, Dora's baby may not survive if she too went into labor before her due date. His own son was small, but he looked well developed as it was, however, the child had not survived the labor.

Molly took a shaking breath as she looked over the still woman, blood staining her hands from helping with the messy labor. But the thought of actually having to bury Emma, as well as the woman’s stillborn son, had broken the woman as she tried her best to hold back her already falling tears trying with all her effort to find a pulse, "Come on sweet girl, wake up… Please… You can't do this."

**_Emma groaned painfully, resting a shaking hand to her forehead from the pounding headache, but the voice that came to her shocked her making her think she was hallucinating, "You have got to stop trying to die Emma, at some point you won't be able to go back." the female giggled._ **

**_Sitting up from the stone bench, Emma opened her eyes with some pain as the bright lights assaulted her sensitive eyes. Finding the body to match the voice she was left with barely any words, "Gabby? - Wait, did you just say I died!" Emma shouted with shock and fear. She had caught on a bit faster than Gabby had thought she would have._ **

**_"No, you’re just very close to being half dead…” Gabby clarified. Her smiled fell suddenly sad, a babies cries echoed the bright area around them and Emma felt a sinking of dread in her as she paled. Her hand over her flat belly as she heard the crying baby’s echo’s flutter off away from them. Thick tears rolled down her cheeks as she began to cry, realizing what had happened. “My baby,”_ **

**_“I am so sorry Emma,” Gabby whispered, wrapping her arms around an now wailing Emma. She was confused, how had the child not survived._ **

**_“When you were attacked, your womb was weakened. He didn’t make it Emmie. But Emma, you have to wake up.” Gabby whispered into her ear sadly. “He’ll be safe with us. We’ll love him for you all. That’s the only reason I came to you, Emma, to tell you he would be care for, he’ll be loved. Lily’s been all over the attempt at having more children here. You raised Harry, let Lily and James return your love and care you’ve shown their son by caring for your son while you are away.” Gabby told her softly, her words echoing softly like milk and honey as she drifted back from the warmth of her friend’s comforts._ **

**_However, the sudden feeling of falling had scared her enough to want to scream._** Though, the pressure she had on her chest and the pain rushing back into her body had lodged the scream in her chest. Her eyes had fluttered open with exhaustion and slight difficulty and had found the cause of her unable to take in a deep breath from the cries the woman was giving over her, her head resting upon her chest. A sad smile moved across Emma’s lips when she saw the ginger hair, “Molly…. Can’t breathe.”


	47. The Marauders Fox Sequel

Author's note: Please be aware that I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, everything, except my character ocs' I place in here, belongs to the wonderful Lady J.K. Rowling. This is a Sirius Black/OC Fanfiction. **It will eventually get there, just a heads up, this is now in Harry Potter Era so it's going to be a bit, keep your heads up, this isn't just all about Sirius/OC (Emma) but it's about Emma and how she evolves and how she's trying to get her nephew back and other characters of the story. There is more to this story than just Sirius/OC.**

** Chapter 47 **

* * *

**March 1998**

"How's that potion coming along?"

Draco had nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Gregory behind him, Morgan snickered off in the corner from Draco's reaction to being snuck up on. He had taken a breath to relax before he answered Gregory.

"It failed, I'm trying a different method, every method I tried failed to break the shield for some reason, the longer the shield is up the stronger it gets, only the one that put the shield up can take it down immediately. Whereas, if we use the potion it'll take time for it to disintegrate. Your blood didn't kill the shield, it actually strengthened it. Even I had trouble bringing the shield down when I tested its strength." He explained to the two staring at him with slight shock.

Even to Gregory this was news, he couldn't help but be stunned. "Well, that is interesting." None of them spoke a single word, their agreeing nods were loud enough.

"So, how will we get Alicia out of the Manor then?" Morgan asked softly, he was curiously worried about the answer, and he proved to be right when Draco's face fell with his shoulders and sighing sadly. "We can't. At least not with this method. It’s completely backfired." Draco sighed as he looked out the cabin window towards the tree line, watching Emma’s red hair gently blowing in the wind as she sat in the grass in the open field, Sirius’s arms wrapped tightly around her.

She hadn’t left the baby’s cross since the child’s funeral a month ago. They had thought, for a moment, they had lost both child and Emma, thankfully the woman had simply been unconscious. The lack of blood she had experienced had simply caused a slow heartbeat in her, and they had soon found out from Poppy that she always had a hard time finding Emma’s heartbeat, but the child had unfortunately not been so lucky. The poor infant had been born dead. It wasn’t that they’d given up on the child to soon, he was cold, lifeless and no heartbeat. Apparently, he’d been deceased for some time.

According to Molly and Poppy, the moment Emma began to experience the intense pains back in December, then her early labor, had been because her body was trying to tell them, tell Emma, that the baby had passed. Her body had begun experiencing the deceased baby as an infection of some form and at some point, it would have forced the labor to evacuate whatever was causing Emma’s lowered immune system and bodily pain. Poppy had said she was lucky to have given birth to the child when she had, or Emma would not have made it to her due date alive. Draco hurt for her and Sirius, he hurt for Harry, knowing the young Wizard on the run with the others wouldn’t know anything about Emma’s lost child. The stress and the depression had only added in the child’s loss on top of her attack and the one-month coma she had been in. it was why they had told Emma she needed to be careful, and they honestly thought they had been. But Draco supposed they hadn’t been careful enough. Emma had basically closed herself off, her twins, however, seemed to be able to get through to her. Really any of them could, if they simply hugged her. Apparently, hugs were Kryptonite for his Aunt Emma and mourning would be healthier for her instead of allowing her to slip back into whatever depression she was slipping into. So, Kryptonite hugs it was for a while until they got Emma back to how she was before this terrible ordeal.

Draco was scared for her, he couldn’t lose her too, not to this. Though he knew this was something normal for a mother to go through, hell it was better than a damn war in his mind. The loss of a child was devastating to the entire family, but the mother was the one who’d experience the most pain. And truthfully, he couldn’t imagine the kind of pain Sirius was in. Because right now, he was her rock holding her above the rising waters. They had all been through Hell together, and this was just another milestone, or five, that was going to be surpassed, as long as they had each other Draco had faith in them both of coming out of this together. “She’ll be alright Draco. She just needs a little more time to mourn him.” Remus said, grasping his shoulder.

“Sirius won’t talk about it.” He said softly.

Gregory sighed sadly as he looked out the window and across the field to the two weeping parents. He knew exactly how Sirius felt, he’d gone through it himself a long time ago, but the pain was still there, the aching loss of your child was never something a parent should have to suffer. Mother or father. “He lost a son too Draco… Coming from a father who watched his own child, daughter-in-law even as well as his grandchildren, pass into the afterlife without said father and grandfather, it’s not easy. However, Sirius has Emma and vice-versa. I had to suffer the losses alone. He’ll be alright, just like Remus said, they just need some more time to mourn.”

* * *

**April 21st, 1998**

Narcissa slipped out of the front dining hall and headed towards Alicia's door, hoping to find a way to get her out of there, she had been a prisoner for months, along with Luna Lovegood. But, Narcissa had no such luck getting the girls free so far, yet her sister's cold tone flooded the halls stopping her steps.

"Narcissa! Come we have guests." Bellatrix shouted after her sister, a grin coming to her lips as she watched the blond freeze in her steps, "Bring Finn, he's been missing the last few days, check his room will you."

Narcissa took a deep sigh but turned down a hall towards Finn's room, glad enough it was next to Alicia's, but with the shield up she was hopeless to get the girls attention, Finn had been the one placing the shield up lately and he alone was able to remove it, a trick of the Malfoy family's shield spell to others who may have tried to learn it. She would have to wait for him to take it down to get the girls out.

"Finn, we have visitors." Yet, she received no response when she knocked and spoke, "Finn," with still no answer Narcissa drew her wand, unlocked the door and found the room completely empty of life, leaving the woman confused, "Finn?"

"What are you doing in my room Narcissa?" His sudden appearance behind her had Narcissa startled. Turning to face her nephew and knowing there was no point in diddling around she jumped to the point of the situation. "We have visitors downstairs, come along."

However, they were most shocked once they’d walked in and found three people that had been causing the most pain to their Dark Lords cause. But the world Voldemort saw was filled with chaos and destruction. He was power hungry and dangerous, and Finn had a horrifying feeling he was going to feel more pain than nearly anyone that had had crossed his wrath. Even more than the Potters in some form of way. Finn’s eyes had widened in slight shock as he stared at the messed up and swollen face of none other than Harry Potter. _‘This is not good,’_

"Well?" Bellatrix asked with a grinning smirk of hope to Finn once they arrived too the dining area. He’d had no time to think of anything, except for Harry's face that had been distorted and swollen, leaving many to question this, but Finn knew better than that. He knew it was Harry Potter, since the boy had never gone anywhere without Hermione or Ron. And the fact Draco wasn't with him was a pain in Finn's stomach that left him sick at the memory, but this case gave him reason to stall, "What happened to his face?"

Finn knew that was not exactly what she wanted to hear, he almost smirked as he listened to her let out an annoyed sigh. "Yes, that is a very good point, what happened?" Bellatrix questioned. Looking between Ron, Hermione and the Snatchers, who grinned wickedly, when Bella’s dark eyes flicked dangerously to the girl and held her hand out for Hermione's wand. "Let's see what her last spell was." She laughed, one that had Finn's eyes wide with fear for the girl.

 _'She'll kill her the second she gets her answers!'_ Yet his fear had sank so deep into his core that the trio had even witnessed him reaching his hand back behind him, grasping onto Narcissa's hand.

Finn was relieved when she returned the jester and squeezed his hand in comfort, moving closer behind him and placed a hand onto his shoulder. A jester she’d have done for Draco had he still been with them.

The trio had been stunned. Finn hadn't verified Harry as Harry Potter.

Bellatrix had quickly figured out what the brilliant little Witch had done in the forest, which had Bellatrix laughing with interest as she slowly stalked towards Hermione. "You are a clever girl, aren't you?" but her laughing had quickly stopped as her dark eyes spotted the Sword of Gryffindor in the hands of one of the Snatchers, her look had turned to one of sheer panic leaving everyone, even Finn and Narcissa, confused and terrified, "Where'd you get that?"

"Found it in her bag when we searched her, figured it's mine now." The Snatcher grinned with pride, but his pride was short lived as it was wiped off his face by Bellatrix herself attacking him and the others. Transfiguring her wand into a whip before she finally released her hold around Greyback's throat. She had choked him to his knees as he struggled to breathe. All the while Bellatrix was screeching for them to "OUT! GET OUT! THIEVES!"

However, she hadn't stopped there. Bellatrix had turned on Hermione and grasped the back of her hair fiercely, "Put the boys in the cellar! We need to have a little chat! Girl to girl."

Finn and the others watched Hermione shiver and attempt to shrink back from Bellatrix and Wormtail had done as instructed, shoving the two boys towards the cellar stairs they had turned into a makeshift dungeon.

Finn and Narcissa shared a sideways look of understanding; it was time to get Alicia and Luna out of the Manor with the three, fast. The only trick was to get Alicia out of her room, past the Death Eaters and Bellatrix herself while she tortured Hermione. Finn had wanted to vomit as his Aunt Bellatrix began to cut into Hermione's arms, making the poor girl scream while trying to fight the Witch off her, kicking and screaming. Finn only had one idea that would work, but it would lead, if he was lucky, to his death.

Narcissa's stomach turned, her eyes watered as she witnessed the torture of Hermione Jean Granger by her sisters very hand. Narcissa wrapped an arm around Finn's shoulder's resting her palm against his chest and felt his heart race. Both continued to squeeze the other's hand tighter as it went on. "Breathe, focus… Tune them out and focus, Apparate to the cellar and get them out." She whispered softly into her nephew's ear, "They won't trust me, after everything I've done, they won't believe me." And he was right, they wouldn't trust him, especially if they'd heard the news of him being the one to murder their own friend, Harry had called Draco his brother a few years ago at school, and that left Finn on big outs with the Trio. Something that left Finn in only one position to get them all out of there alive and in one piece.

"Bring me the Goblin!" Bellatrix screamed. Moving from Hermione's still form, the notion had terrified Finn until he watched her head slowly fall to her left and look at the damage done to her skin. Bellatrix Lestrange had carved **_"MudBlood"_** into Hermione's arm.

"Luna is down there, she knows you're trying to help Alicia get out. Wormtail's going down, hurry." But Finn heard nothing his Aunt was telling him. His feet had moved all their own to Hermione. He felt most sick with himself when he watched Hermione flinch from him as he slid his hands and arms under her back and lifted her up and leaned her against his chest. He pulled his handkerchief and muttered _aguamenti_ before placing the cold wet cloth against the girls painfully burning wound and allowed it to soak up the blood. "You didn't have to carve her up Aunt Bella."

_'I can't believe I fell for their psychopathic lies, my mother, Bellatrix, Voldemort. All of them. Worst of all with myself.'_

"Oh really! And where has this sudden soft spot for the Mud Blood come from? Huh? Have a small thing for the damned girl?" Bellatrix was disgusted, Narcissa was filled with panic and terror as she watched.

_'What are you doing Finn!'_

"I could ask the same thing regarding Emma Evans, Bellatrix…" Finn said coldly to her, calling his deranged aunt out on her unstable mentality and cruel torture. However, he had soon realized he had made a short mistake. Bellatrix had moved so fast against him that Finn hadn't even noticed the attack until he was back handed hard enough it sent him rolling back and away from Hermione. He heard Hermione scream from the sudden shock of Bellatrix attacking him, the girl began crying all over again as she quickly crawled to him. Being petrified of the witch and worried for Finn after his kindness, she had forgotten and forgiven Finn from everything when he had moved to help her.

Narcissa clenched her jaw tightly, holding back her tears as she forced herself to watch it all unfold. Finn had out right challenged her sister and Bellatrix had attacked him in retaliation. The boy never really had his own mother, crazy herself truly, and once Bellatrix had been freed and returned home, he saw part of his mother and had hoped she would take the roll. And in a way she had, taught him to be just as cruel, but deep down he was scared about where things were leading, trying to prove himself to a woman who he should have known would have never look at him like a son, not even Voldemort wanted him as one. Finn was simply a means to an end for his own plans and desires for things to finally unfold. Because, for Voldemort to become immortal, he needed the eclipse and the potion that lay within the Ravenclaw ring. However, he needed a new body, a host he could take for himself.

And Finn had been his desired choice. Pampering the boy to think he was his son and heir, when he was really a sacrifice to rid the body of the boy's soul for Voldemort to take hold of. An immortal human with the power of Helena Ravenclaw's very own ring and the blood of her lover. The Eclipse was meant to be a key to unlock the ring for him to gain access to the immortality. Yet, with the ring out of his reach he had missed the eclipse leading to many complications.

Hermione's heart had stopped when he lifted his head up, looking behind Hermione at his angry aunt, who could have practically been puffing out fire from her nostrils, "That… That _thing_ is nothing like Cubby… Emma is dead! That _abomination_ is alive! There is a world of difference." Bellatrix's tone may have been but a whisper, but it held much hatred, evil intentions and very deep in her mental instability as she angrily turned her attention over to the Goblin from Gringotts and began her 'questioning'.

But Finn had more up his sleeve, knowing very well that there was no difference between Emma and Hermione besides age, personality, family name and Hermione’s pure genius nature. Other than, that there was no difference, but Finn had chosen to remain silent for the time.

Bellatrix was what Finn now feared, fearful that as he looked at her interrogation of the Goblin that he was staring at a female version of his future self. His eyes moved back to a fearfully panting Hermione as she cried and checked him over, he had nearly laughed when she had started to fuss over his very badly busted lip. An injury that was now very clearly dripping with blood off his chin. The wound sadly reminded her of the scar Emma had on her own lip. But it wouldn’t be the last to mark his body.

Knowing he better get his plan set into motion, Finn wrapped a hand behind the back of Hermione's head and placed a kiss to her cheek near her ear, leaving traces of his blood on the side of her face, a diversion to the others to conceal what he was truly doing, "It's the wand, not the user. Draco's room, point and say, 'Cancel'. The door will open. Don't touch it until you see a blue shimmer and hear a click. Alicia and a baby are there, take them. Toss this under the bed before you Disapparate out." He said softly, as he whispered into Hermione's ear and hair. He had snuck his wand up her sleeve. "Wait for the timing, have the elf Apparate up. Take the child… and whatever you do, Kitten… Please, trust me."

All the while everyone stared in shock, they had watched Finn Malfoy kiss Hermione Granger on the cheek, and he didn't seem to want to let her go. Even Hermione was shocked but had nodded gently and took a breath to focus herself, she couldn't believe she was actually going to put her life and the lives of her best friends in his hands. For all she knew, Finn could have done this only to betray them in the very end, but their information was true, Alicia and Luna were there in the Manor, Luna was likely below with the boys, but if he was telling her the truth, that meant Alicia was up top. Hermione had to put faith in him if they were going to get out of there with both of the girls at their side. But to her terror, the both of them were viciously separated by Lucius grabbing Finn by the back of his head and onto his feet, tossing him over to Narcissa.

Narcissa caught Finn in her arms as Lucius roared out, terrified and enraged. "First Draco! Now you! Learn where your loyalties lay boy!" Lucius roared.

Finn took a few moments to regain his composure at the shock of what had just happened, his uncle had actually thrown him across the room into his aunt's arms. Taking a breath, Finn came level with Lucius's glares and again, he'd said nothing. For now.

Bellatrix had, had enough of both her interrogation of the Goblin, she had sliced the Goblin across the cheek, calling him a liar and turned her attention back to the situation at hand. "Don't worry Lucius, I thought Draco’s defaulting was your fault. However, after watching Sissy these last few years, I'm seeing it more clearly… She's been babying the boys. But since Finn was the reason behind Draco's death, he's been such a baby. Did you really think this war was a game little boy! Why do you think I cursed you to do it! You never had the stomach!"

Again, Finn had said nothing. He knew by doing this he was sealing his fate, likely by death. He grinned when Harry and Ron came out attacking from the stairs, Narcissa had attempted to help her sister but had been stopped by Finn, tackling her to the floor leaving her confused and her mind swirled around with questions. Until realization hit her like a ton of bricks. This had left her eyes filling with tears and the words to beg him not to go through with it, but the words weren’t leaving her, they choked the woman instead.

Finn was taking the fall for Narcissa if the trio got away with Alicia and the baby, "Trust me," he whispered down to his aunt with a grinned wink and pushed himself forward to getting them out of there, he had to get his daughter out of the manor, away from Bellatrix and Voldemort.

Hermione had used Finn's wand against Bellatrix and rushed into Ron's arms, "Dobby, Draco's room!" With the words spoken, Dobby had disappeared in a whirlwind of mixing bodies as Bellatrix screamed in pure rage, "NO! GET THEM! AFTER THEM! KILL THEM ALL!" with that screamed, the Death Eaters present had all vanished, Bellatrix included. They were too late.

Upon Bellatrix's arrival to Alicia's sealed room, the red head held in hand the newborn baby girl Voldemort had named Delphini.

In a panic Bellatrix had lifted her dagger and aimed it for Alicia, knowing it would run her through her throat, leaving her daughter unharmed, for a moment Bellatrix feared the dagger wouldn't make it, her smirk soon returned as she watched her very dagger Disaparated with them. But her daughter was still gone, and the Dagger never touched Alicia.

Knowing it was useless to keep anything from the Dark Lord, she summoned her Master and informed him of the situation. But the look in his eyes had her shrinking before his presents as he softly growled his command. "Bring him to me…"

* * *

**Shell Cottage**

"Hermione! Are you okay?!" Harry asked stumbling towards his two friends holding one another on the shore line of the oceans cold waters. His eyes had caught the sight of red hair and his ears ringing with a baby's cries, his mind registering who it was, Harry took off towards her, a happy smile as he pulled her into his arms trying his best to be careful with the baby between them as he kissed Alicia all over her face, "You're alive, thank God… The baby is it okay! Bellatrix threw a -" 

"Harry Potter…" the soft familiar voice had gently called for him off in the short distance, his heart sank when he saw the realization of the scene. Bellatrix had aimed her weapon for Alicia and the baby, but Dobby had taken the blow. A loyal elf to the very end, but it wouldn't stop Harry from rushing for the falling friend that had saved all of their lives, "Dobby, what- no… no, no… Hermione! Your bag!"

They all knew the Essence of Dittany wouldn't do any good. Dobby had suffered a major wound, a deep wound that would require a professional healer's skills, something none of them had. Dobby had died happily in Harry's arms, he had been a free elf, saving his friends and more, but what had been most important to him, he had been with Harry in his final hours.

Luna had been standing beside a crying Alicia trying to comfort her and the baby. There was a secret behind the baby's created background, something Alicia was even unaware of, but for now she left things unsaid and knelt beside Harry and Dobby, gently closing the Elf's eyes in sleep like and respect. "If you close them it can be like he's sleeping." Luna said softly, resting a comforting hand to Harry's arm.

"I want to bury him, no magic…" Harry clarified, sniffing back his tears. No one had words for the moment, they had all simply nodded in agreement.

"Ron? Oh thank Merlin, you're alright! We've all be so worried about you three!" A woman's voice had screamed from the shell cottage, her blue dress kicking up a little as she rushed them all at the shores front and hugged the smiling redhead.

Honestly shocked Fleur was this happy to see him, Ron hugged her back with a happy smile to at least be somewhere familiar. Somewhere safe. "Hey Fleur… How's Bill?"

"He's fine, currently out in the market getting things to make supper tonight. So glad you’re all alright!" Fleur cried into her brother-in-law's arms, they had all been so terrified for them, and from the looks of this they had found Alicia and Luna. Something Fleur was going to take advantage of, moving from Ron she smiled with trembling lips and rolling tears as Luna took the baby in her arms with a smile and both previous ladies of Beauxbaton Academy had quickly latched onto one another smiling and crying. **"Nous avons eu si peur que nous ne vous reverrions jamais!"** Fleur cried into Alicia's red hair. Running her fingers through it, making sure she wasn't imagining her dear friend. For now, the two would simply just cry, they could talk later. But Fleur's tears weren't dried up yet when she'd found Harry holding a dead Dobby, sending her back into another fit of tears.

Composing herself as best she could, Fleur smoothed Alicia's wild hair back as the two sniffed here and there, "Come, I am making supper as soon as Bill returns. Until then, I will get you settled into rooms and you can clean up and rest while I find something for the baby to eat. I will send word to Bill to get some more to make supper and milk for the baby. Does she have cloth or disposable diapers?"

"Cloth, but we left in a rush, we have nothing for her." Luna informed the dear woman and thankful the baby had fallen back asleep so quickly.

"Whose she any way's, Luna?" Ron asked, his arm around Hermione, keeping her as close to him as possible.

"She's mine… and Finn's… But there's a long story to that. She's not really ours, but I'll explain later." Luna said softly with a smiling promise. She hadn't lost her smile, not once, as she walked inside with the baby in arms. Everyone, even Alicia, was in a state of shock.

"… I think we need to have her head checked." Ron grunted out as Hermione elbowed him in the side for his comment.

"He saved us with the help of Dobby, but if it hadn't been for Finn's extra help, we never would have gotten Alicia out of that room." Hermione scolded him.

"I know, I know… Calm down will ya… We have bigger things to think about right now, like burying Dobby. Come on Harry, I think I know where we can put him. Hermione, the first floor next to the bathroom there's a linen closet, grab a small sheet or blanket for us to wrap him with." With that said and done Hermione had walked up for the sheet, Alicia following closely behind her, not wanting to be on her own like she had been for months, nearly a year. But as the two girls got to the linen closet, they had turned to one another and hugged each other tightly and cried. Not for themselves, but for Finn and the loss of Dobby. "He's taking the fall for his and Narcissa's plans… What do you think they'll do to him Hermione?"

"I don't know, if he's lucky they'll kill him, if he isn't, torture." They both knew it was harsh agreeing to that, but the truth had been seen, a person was lucky if they, Bellatrix and Voldemort, simply killed them, but they both had a sickening feeling sinking into their stomachs that he was going to be very unlucky.

* * *

 **Translation: _"Nous avons eu si peur que nous ne vous reverrions jamais!"_ = **"We were so scared that we would never see you again!"

* * *

 **Malfoy Manor -** **April 25th, 1998**

Finn had been strung up in the cellar by ceiling, locked in chains and blood had been dripping from his body for what felt like an eternity to him. He had been stripped of his shirt, shoes and socks then tortured. Magically and non-magically.

They had whipped him all around. That act had left him near unconscious, and enough that his pants were only able to cover the front and barely his buttocks because of the lashes he suffered. He wouldn’t count the stabs, because after the whipping he’d gotten he had barely felt the stabs they had given him, the curses however, were a different story.

His screams had been endless.

But Voldemort was not done. "The next time they strike, depending on their severity of their outcome, you'll be given worse treatment. However, I still cannot allow myself to leave you here forever. I shall let you return to your room once I see your punishment is fitting enough. Wormtail, you did a fine job, but not fine enough, turn your job over to Bellatrix for the time being and get some rest. After that, return him to his room…" Voldemort said calmly leaving the cellar, "Wormtail, take as long as you see fit." And continued up to leave.

Finn was holding back on something and Voldemort very much didn't like it. Finn had even gotten Voldemort to come down and give some 'attention' to Finn’s torture himself for a time, but the boy had continued to keep something back. Something Finn was saving for when the trio really pissed Voldemort off, he wanted to say it in front of both him and Bellatrix and savor the painful victory. It wouldn't be long before he got the chance to do so.

Finn had only been in his room for possibly a week, healing from the wounds inflicted on him, marks he knew would definitely scar, lightly or deeply, they'd still be there. No part of his body was left untouched, the whip had grazed his jaw a few times but that was it. Fenrir Greyback had gladly walked down to deliver a few good punches to a living punching bag for an hour or so, but it was the day Bellatrix's vault had been robbed that Finn would be punished the worst. Yet, what dug under the Dark Lord's skin the most was that Finn had shown no fear of him or Bellatrix, something he and the Witch equally found irritating. They thrived on pain and fear.

Voldemort had murdered everyone from Gringotts, but he'd saved his most favorite part for last when he summoned Fenrir for one particular reason.

Finn had laughed at Voldemort's fear as the Dark Lord paced around the blood covered floor in anger. Finn could see his terror was clear in his eyes at the item which had been stolen.

"For the last time, where is my daughter, Malfoy…" Voldemort growled, this had Finn laughing painfully hard, even more so when Bellatrix had begun to deliver punches of her own screaming at him to fess up regarding the baby girl, "Bellatrix! Enough… What is so amusing, Malfoy! You’ve been laughing tis entire time at us. So tell me, what is oh so amusing about your torture?" Voldemort said shoving the woman aside.

This was what Finn had been waiting for, "Your daughter? That's what's funny, **your daughter** … She isn't your daughter, **_my lord._** She never will be… You signed her life and guardianship over to me, foraged Bellatrix's name and everything, and the mother doesn't even know she was robbed of her only child by the very father. You didn’t sign me as the Godfather. You gave me full custody. That's what's funny…” He said with mad laughter.

Turning his burning eyes of amusement and hatred to the wide eyes woman who was now staring at him in full horror of being told this. Finn couldn’t help but feel a little thrilled that Bellatrix Lestrange looked as though she were on her last legs of sanity. And really, it had been his entire plan to send the woman packing over a cliffside. “She isn't your daughter Bellatrix. She's **mine** …” Finn told her, turning his laughing amusement back to a seething Dark Lord. “And the funniest part of it all, birth records can’t even help you, because when she was born there were no birth records made for her with your names on it… The names on her birth records under different names for the parents and to top this off, Delphini isn't even her name, **_Tom_**. And I will never say her name, not to any of you… Bellatrix, the day you gave birth, I was given custody, by Voldemort himself. However, I went behind my uncles and everyone's backs and got more documents, a death record to be exact. Your child is in the system as a still born baby girl. Delphini Lestrange is dead to everyone's knowledge. You'll never find her. None of you will, and you can’t invade my mind to get the information because I'm immune to it. You're just going to be chasing your tails in circles." Finn knew he was going to be suffering the worst this time, but the look on Bellatrix's face of utter horror and disbelief and Voldemort's enraging expression that he'd been tricked and by far 'out foxed' had the Dark Lord seething.

Finn would gladly take this pain if it meant _his daughter's_ safety from the two of them.

His teeth clenching as he glared at the laughing young man, Voldemort turned his back to the bleeding boy at his feet and glanced to the beast of a man before he left the blood soaked marble floors of the great hall, "He's all yours Fenrir."


End file.
